To Tame A Beast
by starcanopus
Summary: Klaus/OC — "Those who know her name think of her only as a myth. After all, who would believe that the most feared being in all existence has a soft spot, or could be controlled with a single word uttered from her very lips?" — Audrea Mikaelson wakes up in a new century with burning questions and is determined to get the answers out of her insufferable husband, Klaus Mikaelson.
1. Chapter 1

**Summary:** **"Those who know her name think of her only as a myth. After all, who would believe that the most feared being in all existence has a soft spot, or could be controlled with a single word uttered from her very lips?" — Audrea Mikaelson wakes up in a new century with burning questions and is determined to get the answers from her insufferable husband, Klaus Mikaelson.**

 **Set starting from 3x13: Bring Out The Dead**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing but my OC and maybe a few other characters later on in the story. All rights go to their respective owners. Rating will probably change in the future.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

To Tame A Beast

 **※**

 _This is just my way of unleashing_

 _The feelings deep inside of me_

 _This spark of black that I seem to love_

 _We can get a little crazy just for fun_

 _Just for fun_

 **※**

 **Mikaelson Mansion**

"So why don't we move this evening along and discuss the terms of this proposal?" Elijah asked, breaking the tense silence that had settled over the dinner table. Damon and Stefan Salvatore sat near each other at one end while Klaus sat on the other, with Elijah in between the two parties.

Damon replied matter-of-factly, "Well, it's very simple. Klaus get his coffins back. In exchange, he, and the Original extended family leave Mystic Falls forever. Me, Stefan, and Elena live happily ever after. No grudges."

"Deal sounds fair, brother." Elijah eyed Klaus, who chuckled and looked down.

"I don't think you understand. Elena's doppelgänger blood ensures that I will always have more hybrids to fight those that oppose me." He leaned forward, lifting his gaze to stare dangerously at Damon and Stefan. "I will never leave her behind."

His tone of voice suddenly changed into a cheerful one as he stood up, taking his glass with him. "Let's say I do leave her here. Under your protection. What then?"

He raised his glass in the Salvatore brothers' direction, grinning.

"How long before one of you turned her into a vampire? Or worse. How long before she dies, caught between your feuding. You see, each one of you truly believes that you're the one that can protect her. And that is simply a delusion. Gentlemen..." Klaus declared, his lips twisting into a sinister smirk. "The worst thing for Elena Gilbert is...the two of you."

Klaus leaned back, relishing the silence that his words brought upon Damon and Stefan. Damon looked down at the table wordlessly.

"I'm going to get some air." Damon put his hands on the table and pushed back, getting out of his seat and turning to leave the room.

Elijah rose soon after and said, "Let me deal with this."

"Mmm. Hmm. All this talk has made me thirsty." Klaus announced, his eyes flicking to the blonde human standing off to the side. She automatically walked towards him, tilting her head to the side to expose her neck once she came to a halt next to him.

"What do you say, Stefan?" Klaus pushed the woman's hair aside and cast a provoking look in Stefan's direction. "Can I interest you in a little...after dinner drink?"

 **※**

Damon arched an eyebrow as he and Elijah stepped into the room that held five coffins. Elijah's, of course, was shut and off to the side.

"Well that was fun." He remarked sarcastically.

"Yes, my brother does tend to have a flair for the dramatics," Elijah sighed. "And unfortunately, it is that which has caused me to come to this decision. He must be stopped."

Elijah stepped around each coffin and opened each of them, revealing his siblings one by one. Rebekah, Kol, and Finn lay there, each with their hands folded over their chests, below where the daggers had been inserted. He pulled each of the daggers out as he passed, setting them on the small tables next to the coffins. When he reached the fifth coffin, however, he hesitated, smiling to himself while running his hand along the smooth surface. It was a beautiful coffin, with engravings on the sides that few artists in the world could replicate. Of course Niklaus would settle for nothing less for her.

"So I know Klaus has four siblings. You, Rebekah, Kol, and the old dude."

"Finn." Elijah said.

"Yes, him." Damon waved at his statement dismissively. "But then _who_ is in the fifth coffin? Stefan and Bonnie never managed to identify her. Another sister, perhaps?"

Elijah was silent for a moment as he splayed his hand flat on the coffin's surface.

"Audrea Mikaelson."

Damon replied skeptically, "Uh, say who now?"

"Audrea Mikaelson." Elijah repeated, turning to look at the Salvatore brother. "My sister-in-law."

Damon's eyes widened. "Sister-in-law...as in..."

"Yes." Elijah replied, curling one hand around the edge of the coffin's lid and lifting it. "She is my brother's wife."

Damon spluttered. "W-wife...what on...you mean... _Klaus_?"

Elijah's lips turned up into a smirk. "Quite right. They were married before my mother turned us. She is a part of this family, though not by blood. My mother turned her as well, in the hopes that Niklaus would continue his eternal existence with the woman he loved so much. And that was exactly what he did. Their relationship is unlike any other. The love between them has simply grown stronger over the centuries. She is also perhaps the only one who can control him. He would do anything for her. With a single word from her, Niklaus would run to the ends of the earth to fulfill her needs. With a single wave of her hand, he would burn cities to the ground if she wished it."

"So...what you're saying is...she's also an Original?" Damon walked towards the coffin and stared down at the woman laying there in disbelief.

"Indeed."

Elijah quirked an eyebrow at Damon, who was at a loss for words as he inspected Audrea. He wasn't surprised. NiKlaus's wife was a beautiful woman. He lowered his gaze as well, examining her. She was still in the outfit that she had been wearing when Niklaus had daggered her. It was a plain white nightgown, but it only served to accentuate her beauty further. Her black hair spilled over her shoulders and chest, where a silver dagger was embedded.

"How come we've never even heard her name before?" Damon asked.

Elijah chuckled. "Well, you have never exactly heard ours until not long ago, correct? It makes sense you have never heard of her name before today. Niklaus is a possessive man. He has kept her name from ears all this time. Those who do know her name think of her only as a myth. After all, who would believe that the most feared being in all existence has a soft spot, or that he could be controlled with a single word uttered from her very lips? No, if people knew of her name, they would seek to use her as a weapon against him."

Damon asked curiously, "So she's...what...she's his weakness?"

Elijah turned to cast Damon an amused glance. "I would not make that assumption if I were you. If anything, she is what gives him strength. She is partly why he is so feared today. Her love only makes him stronger. However, I will wake her because she is also our best chance at controlling Niklaus's...ways."

"If he loves her so much," Damon started. "Why is she lying here daggered in a box like the rest of you were?"

"What goes on between them is not for me to tell." Elijah said mysteriously. "Just know that if you cross her, you cross Niklaus, and if you cross Niklaus, you cross her. The two are inseparable. They love each other more than anything. Audrea may be the moral one of the marriage, but you would do well to remember that she is one of us, an Original. She is also Niklaus's wife, and even after all these centuries, she loves him still and will continue to remain by his side. That in itself makes her a force to be reckoned with."

"Come." Elijah finished. "We musn't delay any further or Niklaus will begin to suspect something."

With that, he reached down, pulled the dagger out, and flashed out of the room. Damon cast the fifth coffin in the room one last glance before following.

 **※**

 _"You and I," he murmured, lips brushing over her ear. "'Until the end of time."_

 _"Until the end of time, Nik." she whispered back, hands twisting themselves in his hair._

 _"My heart belongs to you," he breathed, resting one hand on the small of her back. "Always and forever."_

 _A sudden movement by him sent a sharp pain shooting through her chest and she tried to pull back to look at her husband in confusion and betrayal, but he simply wrapped his strong arms around her and lowered her gently to the ground, murmuring sweet nothings in her ear. Her vision went blurry, and before she knew it, she was met with only darkness._

With a sharp gasp, she awoke, one hand shooting out to grip the side of the coffin she was lying in. A nightmare. That had to have been a nightmare. Nik would _never_ do that to her. He may have done it to his siblings but not to her. She refused to believe it. The nightmare had caused a throbbing feeling in her chest and she lifted a hand to touch it.

"Welcome back, dear sister. That took a while."

Audrea's eyes were wide as she turned her head slowly to take in the surroundings. Everything was unfamiliar, and she couldn't recognize the room, the walls, or even the types of decorations hanging there. She was slightly relieved to see a familiar face, albeit with a strange haircut and clothing.

"Kol." She pursed her lips. "Where are we? Where is Nik?"

"Your lovely _husband_ , is upstairs, from what I can hear." Kol tilted his head. "I would love to know what is going on as well, but seems I can't be one to complain. After all, you were daggered before I was last daggered. I'm sure you have many questions."

"He...daggered _me_?" Audrea's voice lowered dangerously, her eyes darkening.

"Yes, my brother has the habit of sticking sharp things into his family members' chests, as you well know." Kol spread his hands. "Welcome to the family. Officially."

"Rea!"

She turned her head at the cry, and a blonde blur crashed into her. Rebekah's arms wrapped tightly around her, and the blonde Mikaelson leaned back to beam at her sister-in-law.

"I've missed you!"

Audrea hugged Rebekah back, smiling happily, despite her unanswered questions and confusion. "It's lovely to see you again, darling sister."

She suddenly gasped, her hands flying up to her throat, which was dry and burning.

"You need blood." Kol said. "Here."

He tossed her a clear pouch filled with dark red liquid. Audrea stared at it in confusion before the unbearable thirst caused her to bare her fangs and rip into the bag messily. Once she had drained the bag of its contents, she lifted her head, breathing heavily as she could now survey her surroundings more comfortably. Finn was standing off to the side, looking quite lost. Understandable, considering he'd been daggered for 900 years.

Kol smirked. "You always did look your best when you were feeding."

"Kol." Rebekah scolded. "You would be careful to say those things around Nik. That's what got her into this mess in the first place."

"What are you talking about?" Audrea asked, looking at her siblings-in-law with confusion. "What got me into this mess? Speaking of which, what _year_ is it? And _what_ are you wearing, Kol? You too, Rebekah! You look..."

"Like a strumpet?" Kol offered.

"Kol!" Rebekah exclaimed. "Shut up!"

"I will repeat it one more time," Audrea's expression turned dark. " _What got me into this mess_?"

Rebekah opened her mouth but closed it just as quickly, looking to Kol for help. They were saved by two figures who entered the room and stopped, looking around at the undaggered Mikaelsons.

"Elijah!" Rebekah declared. "Fantastic. Perhaps _you_ have some answers."

Kol narrowed his eyes. Elijah had played some part in his last daggering, and he harbored immense resentment toward him for that.

"Welcome back." Elijah repeated what Kol had said to Audrea. "All of you. I have undaggered you all for a singular reason. Our brother has once again spiraled out of control and he must be stopped."

"What has Niklaus done?" Audrea approached Elijah, her regal features cold and unforgiving.

"Sister." Elijah said warmly, opening his arms. Audrea's expression slipped momentarily and she smiled, stepping into Elijah's arms and giving him a tight hug. However, she leaned away soon after and said, "My questions are not being answered, Elijah. I am _this_ close to hunting Nik down and forcing answers out of him unless I am filled in this _instant_."

The man next to Elijah whistled. "Feisty."

She narrowed her eyes and left Elijah's embrace, walking towards the dark-haired man. "And who are you? You are not family. You do not _belong_ here."

Her hand shot out and she grasped the man by his throat, tightening her grip.

"Audrea," Elijah warned, putting his hands on her shoulders. "Sister, he is an ally. For now."

She let go of the man and turned to Elijah, an extremely frustrated expression on her face. "'Lijah, _where is Nik?_ What has he _done_? Why did he dagger _me_?"

Elijah hesitated and looked at all his siblings before replying, "That is something I think Niklaus needs to say. For now, there is a matter upstairs that we must attend to."

Audrea frowned in disappointment, but nodded.

"Fine. What do you need?"

 **※**

"Go ahead, kill me!" Stefan growled. "I know you'll do it when he brings the coffin."

Klaus dragged Stefan from away where he had shoved the Salvatore's hand into the fire, his own hands gripping Stefan's collar tightly.

"You really have given up, haven't you?" Klaus pleasantly observed, his gaze seeping over Stefan. Klaus hit Stefan's chest and taunted, "Where's the fight? Where's the _ripper_?!"

Stefan snarled and pushed Klaus away furiously, leaving a few feet between the hybrid and him.

Klaus's attention was torn away from Stefan when he noticed his brother standing in the doorway.

"Elijah."

Elijah and Damon stepped into the living room and a blonde human walked up next to them, holding a tray.

"Why haven't you left?" Klaus questioned. Elijah was supposed to have gone with Damon to fetch the last coffin, but instead, he stood there silently, appraising the situation.

Elijah spread his hands. "Well, where are your manners, brother? You forgot dessert."

He glanced at the tray the woman was holding and smoothly whipped off the cloth covering it. Two very familiar daggers were revealed, much to Klaus's horror.

He lifted his chin and stared accusingly at his older brother. "What have you done?"

"What have _you_ done?" Elijah shot back. "See, I've learned not to trust your vulgar promises, Klaus. We're doing this on my terms now."

Kol suddenly appeared behind Elijah and strode confidently into the room, an unfathomable expression on his face as he neared Klaus.

Klaus's expression shifted into one of pure horror. "Kol."

"Long time, brother." Kol sauntered even closer, tilting his head as he relished in Klaus's shock.

Klaus let out a nervous laugh and found his feet stepping backwards. Someone blurred into the room and snatched a dagger off the tray. Finn appeared a couple feet away in front of Klaus, a look of fury on his face as he stared at the hybrid.

"Finn, don't!" Klaus warned, raising a hand, but his eldest brother simply grabbed onto his wrist and stabbed the dagger through his hand. Finn's eyes had a look of insanity to them even as he stared emotionlessly at Klaus, who screamed in agony when Finn drove the dagger deeper into his hand. Once Finn finally yanked the dagger out, Klaus turned and flashed toward the opposite doorway, only to be stopped by his sister, who strode in, still wearing the beautiful red dress she had been daggered in.

"Rebekah!" He gasped.

She smiled and placed a hand on his shoulder, driving her dagger deep into Klaus's stomach. He groaned and doubled over in pain and Rebekah caught him, declaring in a satisfied tone, "This is for our mother."

She pulled the dagger out and Klaus gasped in pain, stumbling backwards. Kol immediately caught him and pinned his arms behind his back. Klaus was gasping in pain, staring in disbelief at Rebekah, who approached him calmly. She placed a hand on his cheek and leaned close.

"Oh, yes. That's right." She whispered. "We're forgetting someone, aren't we, brothers?"

Kol, Finn, and Elijah moved aside as a figure stepped lightly into the room, her hands behind her back. Damon and Stefan stared at the woman. She was beautiful, her black locks of hair falling naturally over her shoulders and bouncing gently with every step she took. Damon noticed that she was no longer wearing the white nightgown, instead, she had on a blue halter dress, most likely one of Rebekah's, which highlighted her slender figure.

Audrea touched Kol's shoulder gently and he let Klaus go, giving him a forceful shove. The hybrid stumbled forward a couple steps before he turned around slowly, a feeling of dread rising up in him, to see who had entered the room. His eyes widened even further in shock.

There was a long silence before Klaus's lips parted, though he seemed to be struggling to find something to say.

"R-Rea..." Klaus's voice was a whisper as he stared at his wife, who was twirling her dagger in one hand. She glanced at it casually before looking back at Klaus.

"Husband." She stated, striding up to Klaus. She raised the dagger that had been stuck, untouched, in her chest, for years. "Tell me...what's _this_?"

Klaus held up his hands. "R-Rea, my love. I can expla—"

Instead of using the dagger, Audrea simply raised a hand and slapped him so hard his head snapped to the side with an audible crack as his jaw broke. Damon raised his eyebrows in amusement. Today was just not Klaus's day.

"You would dagger _me_? I am your _wife!_ I have stood by you for _centuries_! That is how you repay me?! And _this.._." Audrea held out a hand and Rebekah shoved a body into her arms. It was the blonde woman Klaus had been feeding from earlier. The woman was wearing quite a skimpy dress, and though Klaus had drained her of nearly all her blood, she wasn't dead yet. "You've been playing around with harlots like this one while I've been gone, have you now?"

"N-no, Rea," Klaus tried to explain. "It's not—"

Unflinchingly, Audrea shoved a hand into the woman's back and ripped out her heart, holding it up and crushing it in front of Klaus's face. Damon's eyes widened. While Elijah had said Audrea Mikaelson was the moral one in her marriage with Klaus, it certainly seemed like the woman was capable of much more cruelty if she so desired. On the plus side, this was working out because it seemed that reviving his family was working well in the Salvatores' favor. With Klaus distracted, he would most likely leave Elena alone.

"You are free to go." Elijah told Damon and Stefan, without tearing his gaze from where his sister-in-law stood. "This is _family_ business."

Damon and Stefan took it as their cue to leave and quickly made their way out of the room and house, relieved to escape the stifling reunion of Mikaelsons.

The room fell silent as Audrea folded her arms and stared at her husband. The tense moment was dragged out even longer as Klaus stared back at his wife, but his fear seemed to be diminishing, as his eyes combed over Audrea's face, examining her features. If anything, her ripping out the woman's heart seemed to have excited him. His lips slowly began to curve up into a smile and he took a few steps forward, raising a hand to touch her cheek lightly.

"You look as beautiful as ever, my love."

She looked annoyed and slapped his hand away.

"Don't think your charms will work on me, Niklaus." She snapped. "I am _furious_. You kept me in a coffin for..."

Audrea whipped her head around and looked at her brothers-in-law desperately. " _What year is it?_ "

"21st century, sister." Elijah replied, giving her a small smile.

"Twe—" Audrea's jaw dropped and she turned back around, slapping her husband on the other cheek. Klaus grunted in pain and held his cheek tenderly with a hand. " _You kept me in a box for two hundred years?!"_

"Rea, love—" Klaus tried to placate his wife by placing his hands on her shoulders, but it only served to anger her. She flashed forward and slammed him into the wall.

"You will spend the rest of your miserable existence paying for this, _Niklaus_." She growled.

Klaus stared down at Audrea for a brief moment before his hands flashed up to cup her cheeks. His lips collided with hers, one hand coming down behind her to press against her back, bringing her even closer to him. Her body arched into his fittingly, soft curves meeting sharp edges perfectly, as though they were made for each other. He kissed her for a long moment before parting his lips and murmuring against hers, "I'm sure you will find it in your heart to forgive me, love."

She glared at him before grabbing his collar and pulling him forward only to slam him into the wall even harder. She furiously pressed her lips against his, and _oh_ it felt so good when his hand slid down from her back to her thigh, hitching her leg up his hip. It was as if her body just _knew_ that it had not been touched for two centuries and was _craving_ her husband's touch.

Once she had her fill of his lips, Audrea pushed Klaus away, shoving him so hard that he stumbled to the ground. She lifted a leg and placed the heel of her very sharp stiletto on Klaus's chest, drawing blood through his shirt. Despite this, he was gazing up at her admiringly, a smirk adorning his lips.

"My heart will do what it wants," she snapped. "And it's not in the mood to forgive a man who put a dagger through it."

"Will you two get a room?!" Kol exclaimed, waving a hand in Finn's direction disbelievingly. "There are innocent eyes present!"

"Oh, ha ha." Finn retorted, unamused. "Very funny, _Kol_."

Elijah's lips twitched but he stepped toward his brother and Audrea, holding his hands up in mediation. "Audrea, sister, while Niklaus has done something unforgiveable, I'm afraid there are things we need to discuss concerning those two visitors we just had...and the doppelgänger."

Audrea's head twisted as she stared accusingly at her husband's brother. "Doppelgänger?"

Elijah nodded.

"As in..." she whispered. "...Tatia?"

Klaus swallowed, as his wife's head swiveled very slowly in his direction.

" _So._ " Audrea emphasized. "While I have been lying in a box, daggered, for two _hundred_ years, for no apparent reason, you have been frolicking around the earth doing what you want, whoring around, and _now._ _Now_ , you are trying to mess with the doppelgänger of that _bitch_ who tried to steal you from me?"

"How long do you think Nik will have to make love to her for her to forgive him?" Kol whispered inconspicuously to Rebekah.

The blonde Mikaelson smirked and replied, "Probably for two centuries."

Klaus threw a champagne bottle at Kol, who just caught it and popped it open to take a hearty swig from it.

"Rea!" Klaus turned back to his wife shook his head in protest. "I swear to you I have _not_ been whoring around. I haven't so much as looked at a woman since you were daggered!"

Audrea arched a skeptical eyebrow.

Klaus's voice grew small and he sulkily said, "I haven't touched a woman like I touch you, okay?"

Audrea's expression grew pleased. "Better."

"But now," She continued, one hand fisting itself in his shirt as she began to drag him away. "You have a _lot_ of explaining to do. Sorry, 'Lijah, but my _husband_ and I have to _discuss_ some things about our _marriage_. We will talk about your situation with those strangers _after_ we've had a chance to _talk_."

When the couple disappeared from the living room, Kol nodded knowingly. "They've gone to have sex, all right. So do you want to continue your conversation here, brother, or shall we find someplace else to chat, seeing as this house will probably soon be reduced to a pile of rubble from the apology sex Nik has been planning for the last two centuries?"

Elijah sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose with his fingers. "We will continue this conversation _tomorrow_. After our brother and sister-in-law have had a chance to...repair their relationship."

Kol leaned towards Finn and clarified, "That, dear brother, is code for 'have a mindblowing fuck'."

"Kol." Elijah shook his head in disapproval, but he soon hesitantly began to admit, "Though, brothers and sister, we would do well to seek a different place to stay as Niklaus delivers his...apology."

Kol and Rebekah rolled their eyes but flashed out of the house, Finn and Elijah following them soon after.

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you so much for sticking with me on the first chapter of this story! I hope you enjoyed it! So the rating for this story will most definitely change, probably pretty soon.** **≖‿≖** **Look forward to Nik's apology next chapter! ;D**

 **Again, thanks for reading and see you next chapter! Please leave a review if you enjoyed this chapter or have any feedback!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: This chapter is rated M.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing but my OC and maybe a few other characters later on in the story. All rights go to their respective owners. Rating will probably change in the future.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Mystic Falls — 995 AD**

 _The large fire crackled merrily in the center of the village, several children poking at it with sticks. Most of the villagers were cheerfully dancing around the fire to the music, enjoying the lively celebrations under the night sky._

 _"Brother!" Rebekah laughed happily, skipping over to Niklaus. "Dance with me, Nik!"_

 _Niklaus rolled his eyes, shaking his head as he leaned comfortably against the fence which was quite a distance away from the crowd._

 _Rebekah frowned, and set her hands on her hips. "Why must you spoil everything?"_

 _"Rebekah, I am sure you would not want all the eligible male villagers to think you spend all your time around your older brother." Niklaus said, his lips twitching up into a smile. "Go dance with them."_

 _Rebekah sighed, and ignoring his protests, grabbed him by the arm and began to drag him toward the celebration. "You have been sitting this entire night out. I will not let you ruin your own night so easily. Come with me."_

 _He sighed in resignation, allowing his younger sister to lead him toward where everyone was gathered. He could see Elijah dancing with a dark-haired woman and Kol dancing with **several**_ _women._

 _"You see?" Rebekah exclaimed, gesturing towards his brothers. "Even **Elijah** is dancing!"_

 _"All right, Rebekah. That's enough." Niklaus pulled his arm away. "I will stand here but I will_ not _dance."_

 _Rebekah pursed her lips but then turned away, sweeping her blonde hair over her shoulders. "Do what you want. **I** am going to go have some fun."_

 _Niklaus folded his arms, looking around uncomfortably. Everyone seemed to be quite entertained, even the children and elders had formed their own little groups. He normally liked these celebrations, but just the other day he had gotten into a rather nasty altercation with his father again, and since then, he had been rather put off by everything._

 _"You don't seem to be having fun."_

 _Niklaus turned around to see a young woman standing behind him, holding a wooden cup with some sort of beverage in it, but he paid no attention to it. Instead, he stared at her._

 _Audrea Magnuson._

 _He recognized her immediately._ _She was the prettiest girl in the village and it was every man's dream to be her suitor. Unfortunately, she was the youngest in her family and had nearly a dozen siblings, most of whom were protective brothers who never hesitated to strike terror into any potential suitor who tried to approach her._

 _Niklaus had always admired her from afar, but given her status, would never have believed that one day he might be able to even just talk to her. He hoped his father wouldn't see this moment, or else he was in for a serious beating once he got home. However, he was quickly deciding that it was quite worth it, just to have the chance to look at her up close._

 _"Well...I..." Niklaus was at a loss for words, instead choosing to let his eyes roam over her face, and daringly down toward the swell of her breasts._

 _She giggled, one hand coming up to cover her mouth. "My eyes are up here, Niklaus."_

 _His cheeks flushed and his eyes shot up, meeting her gaze. "You know my name?"_

 _"Of course." She said, her lips curving into an alluring smile. "Niklaus Mikaelson. I make it my mission to know everyone in the village. And you...oh, I have been watching_ you _, Niklaus."_

 _His cheeks reddened further, and in that moment, he felt like a boy again, hopelessly confused as to how to speak to a girl. By the gods, he was twenty-one already! It shouldn't be this hard to keep up a conversation with a woman, albeit the most beautiful one in the village. Luckily, she didn't seem to mind his tragic inability to form a coherent sentence._

 _"Come." Audrea grabbed his hand with both of hers and gave it a tug. "No one should be sitting out celebrations tonight. Dance with me!"_

 _He opened his mouth to object, but was instead instantly entranced by the way she began to move her body, and he couldn't help but let his eyes roam again. She was_ perfect _, her laughter like music to his ears. His lips quirked up into a small smile and he lifted the hand she was holding to twirl her around._

 _"Woo! Go, Nik!"_

 _Niklaus turned to see Rebekah clapping and cheering him on, Kol standing at her side and wiggling an annoyingly suggestive eyebrow. He glanced back at Audrea and the way the moonlight glinted off her beautiful dark hair._

 _Perhaps just tonight he could break his father's rules...for her._

 **※**

Audrea slammed her hand into Klaus's chest, sending him toppling backwards onto his bed. Without hesitation, she climbed up, throwing a leg over his body so she was properly straddling him. His hands immediately came up to settle on her hips. Her fingers immediately pushed his shirt up, and she sat back, sighing in pleasure. His abdomen was just as she remembered, smooth, toned, and so _fucking_ attractive. And his V-line was sending all sorts of pleasurable chills up her body.

"Rea, love," Klaus chuckled. "You're getting ahead of yourself."

"Shut up." she snapped. "This is your fault. My body feels disgustingly rusty and unused. You're going to lay there and explain to me why I have been locked in a box for almost two hundred years."

His gaze locked onto hers for a moment before his lips turned up into a smirk.

"Oh, how I have missed you, my fiery little tiger." He murmured. "And perhaps I could... _help_ with your dilemma."

Klaus's hands inched up Audrea's thighs, and in an instant, he flipped the both of them over so that he was now on top of her. He smirked at her triumphantly and leaned down to press his lips against hers.

Audrea snorted and shifted so she could easily kick him off. He landed gracefully a few feet away from the bed and straightened, looking quite annoyed.

"Nice try, _Niklaus_." She hissed. "You will explain to me _now_ or perhaps I will go out and find myself some nice young men to _play_ with and feed from."

Klaus's expression turned dark and he growled, "You will do no such thing."

"Then you better start talking, _dear_."

She folded her arms and lifted her chin, looking at her husband who sighed in defeat and came over to sit down on the bed next to her. He was silent for a long moment, hands clasped tightly in an uncharacteristic show of nervousness. Klaus glanced at her and opened his mouth but closed it again. He looked extremely hesitant.

Audrea narrowed her eyes. "Nik. Tell me."

He hesitated again before replying slowly, "Rea, trust me when I say I _can't_ tell you just right now why I did what I did. It was necessary. You will understand when the time comes."

Audrea sighed in frustration. "Daggering me was _necessary_? Have you gone mad?"

His eyes darkened. "I was _protecting_ you!"

"I am one of the strongest beings to ever walk this earth." Audrea scoffed. "What did you think was capable of hurting me?!"

"I cannot tell you at this moment, Rea." Klaus leveled his gaze with hers and tried to soften his voice in an attempt to ease her worries. "In time, you will know. _Believe me._ "

Her lips thinned angrily and she stood up, whirling around to point a finger in his direction. "Excuse me if I'm having a hard time trusting you. _You locked me in a box for nearly two hundred years!_ Until when are you going to stop treating me like a fragile little doll?! I know _you_ have trust issues, but I am your _wife!_ I have stayed by your side for a _thousand_ years. I loved you through everything, through your pain, through your fights with Mikael, through your disagreements with your siblings. And now, I am still here, even after you betrayed the _one_ thing we promised each other. 'Until the end of time', Nik? You lied to _me_! Don't you think I _deserve_ answers?! "

Audrea let out a wild laugh. "Give me _one_ reason why I shouldn't leave right _now_."

Klaus stood up and flashed towards her, his hands gripping her arms painfully. " _Because I was afraid of losing you_!"

She stared at him, still breathing hard in anger. "...What?"

Klaus's hands slipped down her arms and he tugged her closer, pressing his forehead against hers.

"You are the most beautiful woman in the world." He murmured. "Most men would _die_ to be with a woman like you. And there are millions of them out there, just waiting for you to leave me. I saw your eyes all those years ago, Rea. You weren't _happy_ anymore. I could no longer see that joy and light in your eyes I loved so much and that _frightened_ me."

"You? Frightened?" Audrea laughed softly and said, "You aren't scared of anything. Forgive me if I don't quite believe your reasoning, Niklaus."

"I'm scared of losing _you_." Klaus breathed, "You are my light. You are what keeps me going when times get hard. Yes, you are strong. You have a fire inside you that no woman, or man, can match. But I could tell that losing your family centuries ago still pained you and I felt you slipping away from me. That was one of the reasons why I did what I did. I _had_ to. You have no idea how many times I have sat by your coffin, desperate to pull that dagger out and claim you again. But I wanted to wake you when I had created a home for us. All of us. Rebekah, Elijah, Kol, Finn. I wanted you to be able to live happily again. I wanted you to have a _proper_ _family_ again."

Audrea closed her eyes, her anger slowly slipping away. How could she stay mad at him when he said such things to her? Despite all his paranoia, despite how _damaged_ he was, he was still so _beautiful_ and _perfect_. Even after a thousand years, it was moments like this that made her realize how hopelessly in love with him she still was.

She cupped his cheeks with his hands and forced him to look her in the eyes. "Niklaus, I love you. I always have, and I always will. Things may get hard, I may not always be happy, but I love you and I made a vow to you centuries ago to stay by your side until the end of time. I will uphold that vow no matter what it takes."

"I trust you." She spoke again. She wasn't happy about what she was going to say, but she knew her husband and under all the darkness and anger, she knew he loved her just as much as she loved him. "And you _will_ tell me the whole reason for why you daggered me when the time comes?"

"I swear it."

She placed a hand over his heart and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. "You have my heart."

"And you have mine." Klaus whispered, covering her hand with his own.

They stood like that for a moment, gazing at each other, before Klaus dipped his head to claim her lips in a rougher manner, almost desperately. Audrea's hands curled into fists, gripping his shirt tightly as she felt his hands slip down over her hips and hitching both of her legs up by his waist. The sudden movement caused her to gasp and bite down on his lip, breaking the skin. A low growl resonated from his throat and he threw her onto the bed unceremoniously. She looked up to see him flash on top of her, his hands pulling her arms over her head and trapping them there.

"Have I told you how absolutely ravishing you look in that dress?" Klaus remarked, his signature smirk sliding back into place.

Audrea lifted an eyebrow and pretended to think. "No, I don't think so. Then again, I was busy punishing you for locking me in a box for two hundred years."

She easily flipped the two of them over and straightened, looking down at her husband critically. "You don't look so bad yourself. This century's style suits you _very_ well. I like what you've done with your hair."

Klaus's hands slid up to grip her by the hips, the soft fabric of her dress bunching together. He eyed her legs on either side of his hips, and slowly trailed a hand up and down her right thigh, enjoying smoothness of her skin under his palm. He turned slowly to lay her down gently, covering her with his long body as he pressed his lips against hers.

As he kissed her, his hands began to move downwards, pushing the skirt of her dress up. Audrea gasped, her arms winding around his neck as she simultaneously locked her legs around his waist. His hands brushed her skin tantalizingly and he reached up with one to cup the back of her neck, the other sliding between her legs. Audrea gasped and arched her back, her hands twisting into his hair. _God_ , his touch felt _incredible_. Even after all these centuries, she still couldn't get enough of him. When two of his fingers entered her, she nearly lost it. Veins instantly crawled up beneath her eyes and she ripped away from Klaus's lips, baring her fangs.

Klaus was breathing hard, his blue-green eyes dark with lust. His lips parted into a knowing smirk and he shifted so she could gain better access to his neck. "Have at it, love."

Audrea snarled and sank her teeth into his carotid artery, drawing a pleased groan from Klaus, who stiffened and thrust his fingers further up into her. She gasped, her legs tightening around his waist. Klaus growled, removing his fingers, and with one sudden movement, ripped her dress off.

She tore away from his neck, momentarily distracted by how his blood dripped deliciously down his neck, before complaining, "That was Rebekah's dress. I quite liked it!"

"I'll buy you a thousand more," Klaus breathed, sitting back on his haunches to admire the way her body was bared before him. He leaned over her to trail butterfly kisses up her body and came to a stop, hovering above her lips. "I promise you will have _everything_ you want."

Audrea's eyes searched his, and she propped herself up on her elbows to be closer. She raised a hand and twisted it into his hair, tugging it sharply, drawing a grunt from him, and leaned forward so her lips were right next to his ear. She murmured, "I want you to _fuck me_."

His lips curved up into another smirk — oh, how she adored that _beautiful_ smirk of his — and he replied, "It would be my _pleasure_."

He growled and attacked her lips, his fingers desperately grasping her hips to lift her body even closer to his. Audrea gasped when his kisses grew more demanding as they trailed down her chest, licking and biting at her flushed skin. When he parted her thighs and his head ducked between them, her entire body stiffened. The way his tongue moved against her was _unbelievable._ It felt like it had been a _thousand_ years since he had last touched her like this.

"Your tongue is very skilled." She gasped, chest heaving as she tried not to lose herself to him so easily. "Been practicing?"

Klaus chuckled lowly, a sound that made her quiver with excitement. "Only with you in my dreams."

"Liar." Audrea panted as he resumed his licking and sucking.

Klaus reemerged above her and he arched an eyebrow. "Are you doubting me, love? Feel free to ask Rebekah. Or Elijah—I'd love to see you make him uncomfortable again, it's been far too long—because it's true. I may have... _played_ around a little but I have never been this intimate with another woman. You're the only one for me."

"I better be." Audrea rolled her eyes. "I am your first love. And I certainly am your _only_ love."

Klaus smirked. "Of course."

His lips attached to hers again and he skillfully slipped his tongue into her mouth again, sliding against hers, causing the heat inside her to intensify even more. Her fingers scrabbled desperately at his pants and unbuttoned them with ease. Klaus's hands left her body briefly to slide his pants off, though he never stopped kissing her.

"I like those pants." She gasped. Klaus sat up slightly, his eyes were drawn to her heaving chest and he watched, enraptured, as a droplet of sweat made its way down the valley of her breasts. "They're much easier to deal with than those abominable trousers you used to wear."

"Mm." Klaus hummed, eyes still trailing over her body.

"Niklaus."

He arched an eyebrow. "Yes?"

Audrea tore his shirt off and wrapped her hand around the back of his neck, jerking him forward. She smiled and whispered in his ear, "You'll have plenty of time to admire me later, darling. For now, I'd prefer if you would ravish me senseless. That is...if you still have it in you."

Klaus's eyes darkened with lust and his lips curved up. Without saying anything, he simply pushed her arms aside again, trapping them at her sides this time and leaning down to capture her lips with his. Audrea moaned, enjoying the way his lips and tongue claimed her own. When he let go of her arms, she slipped them over his shoulders to lock around his neck, attempting to pull him closer than he was already. His hands pushed her legs farther apart and she arched her body, relishing in the delicious shivers of expectation that ran up her body.

He wasn't gentle when he sheathed himself inside her with one powerful thrust.

" _Gods!_ " Audrea shrieked, her hands forming claws and digging brutally into his bare shoulders, drawing blood.

He was filling her impressively, and it was just as she remembered, if not better. She clung to him desperately, unable to stop her fangs from unsheathing and biting down on his shoulder.

Klaus grunted in pain but moaned lustfully, "You have _no_ idea how long I have been waiting for this moment, love."

She was so _fucking_ tight, and despite being the Original hybrid, the most powerful being ever to walk the earth, having the woman he loved beneath him again rendered everything else pointless. He was _home_. _This_ was what it felt like. It had been so long, he had almost forgotten how being inside her was like. Though he was also pretty sure that if he didn't control himself, he would lose it in an instant. The way her walls were clenching around his cock was driving him crazy. She began to circle her hips, urging him to continue moving.

When he slid out of her and slammed back inside brutally, Audrea saw stars. She was barely holding on as he began to thrust frantically, sliding in and out of her, his lips pressing demanding kisses along her neck. She was aware of _everything_ , of his delicious scent, the way his lips moved over hers, and _oh_ , the way his hips moved in sync with hers. She slid her hand down his back, feeling the way his muscles rippled with every move. The two of them quickly fell back into a fast and heated rhythm they had had centuries to perfect. When it came to not be enough, she rocked harder against him to fasten the pace, feeling the knot inside her tighten unbearably.

"Harder!" Audrea gasped, her hands tugging on his hair. She taunted, "Or have you lost your touch?"

Klaus growled and his hands gripped her hips as he pounded into her. Audrea threw her head back in pleasure, hitting the headboard of the bed and cracking the wood. She sucked in a sharp breath as she heard Klaus's fangs unsheathe and when he sank them into her neck, she came undone. She threw her arms over her head and grasped desperately for something to take hold of. The only thing she could get her hands on was a pillow and her strong grip easily tore it apart, causing the down to spill everywhere. The ecstasy that surged through her as she screamed her husband's name was overpowering.

Klaus reached his climax several thrusts later, and one of his hands flew up to the headboard to grip it so hard as he came that it crumbled under his fingers. He didn't move off of her; instead, he cupped the back of her neck and continued to drink from her, inhaling her scent as he did.

" _Rea_." He growled, unable to control himself as he drank greedily from her.

She was his favorite smell, taste, _feeling_ , and the combination of being inside her and drinking her blood was making him go _insane_. When he withdrew his fangs from her neck, he immediately gripped her hips and flashed off the bed, slamming her into the wall, causing all the portraits and decorations to crash to the floor.

His hands slid to encircle her upper thighs to support her better and Audrea tightened her arms around his neck, still breathing hard from the sex. Before she could get the chance to catch her breath, he thrust inside her roughly once more, making her cry out, and they began another round of passionate lovemaking that would last long into the night.

 **※**

 **Salvatore Boarding House**

"So now, not only is the rest of Klaus's crazy family out of their boxes, he's now reunited with his _wife?_ " Damon paced back and forth angrily. He stopped and turned to face Stefan, throwing his hands up in the air. "He has a _wife_? Who would be crazy enough to _marry_ that psycho?"

Stefan sighed in defeat and leaned over in his place on the couch, propping his elbows on his knees. He tried to stay positive. "This doesn't mean the plan's backfired. For all we know, Audrea Mikaelson could be our way out. If she is on our side, it would make it much harder for Klaus to go against her wishes. That's what Elijah said, right? He would do anything for her. _Maybe_ , just maybe, he loves her enough to obey her wishes."

Damon snorted. "He _daggered_ her. He probably got sick of her. And what if you're wrong? Elijah said she makes him stronger. If she's on _his_ side, then we're pretty much screwed. This was our _one_ chance to free ourselves from Klaus. Elijah doesn't care about us. He just cared about getting his family back together. Now he's basically thrown us to the dogs. _Dog_ , actually. Literally."

"She's also his most likely weakness." Stefan said. "She can't be as strong as him, so if we get to her..."

"Are you crazy?" Damon exclaimed, an incredulous look on his face. "She's as old as him! She's an _Original_. We'd just be pissing off the entire family if we tried to mess with her. Based on their dynamic, it seems like she's the only one he or his siblings actually _like_. We'd be declaring war."

Stefan stood up and began to pace too, his eyebrows creased as he ran through their options. "What about the _other_ coffin? If Klaus's family can't kill him for us, then we only have that weapon left. But it's locked."

"I wouldn't be too sure about that."

The two brothers whipped around, shifting into defensive stances.

A blonde woman was standing in the doorway, hands held behind her back. Her posture was straight and proud, and she lifted her chin as they stared at her.

"The Salvatore brothers, I presume?"

Damon flashed toward her, his hand reaching out to grab the intruder by the neck. Before he could reach her however, a crippling pain shot through his head and brought him to his knees. Stefan started in surprise, and flashed over but soon found himself on the ground as well. The pain lasted for only a moment, as the woman announced, "I am not your enemy."

"Then who the hell are you?" Damon growled, staggering to his feet.

"I believe you know my children."

The woman's eyes were piercing as she brought her hands to the front and clasped them together.

"My name is Esther Mikaelson. We have a lot to discuss tonight."

 **※**

 **Mikaelson Mansion**

Audrea lifted the outfit and stared at it skeptically. "Bekah, what on earth are the girls wearing these days? These are simply just...just so..."

"Yes, I know." Rebekah sighed, twisting around in the mirror to admire herself from the side. "But that's the twenty-first century for you. We suffered through all those stifling dresses and corsets and now we don't have to wear anything at all. Beautiful, isn't it?"

Rebekah nodded to the dress Audrea was holding. "Nik is going to love that on you."

Audrea frowned and slumped down into the armchair. "Women these days...it's like they just parade their bodies around for all to see. Should I be worried about Nik, Bekah?"

Despite his assurances the previous night, having spent the morning getting caught up with modern culture with Rebekah as her mentor, Audrea was beginning to feel disillusioned. So much had happened and the twenty-first century was _nothing_ like the early 1800s. The clothing, speech, art, it had all changed so much.

Rebekah finally turned away from the mirror and walked over to her sister-in-law, kneeling down and placing a comforting hand on Audrea's arm. "You have _nothing_ to worry about, sister. Nik would have to be _completely_ mad to go for any other woman. You are the only woman in his eyes. I hate to agree with him, but it's true that he hasn't touched a single woman since you've been daggered. You are gorgeous, sexy, and you have a personality unlike any other. You know how Nik loves it when you get mad at him."

Audrea folded her arms, frowning even more. "He needs to take me seriously when I am cross with him. It is not a moment for him to get...what was that stupid term?"

"'Turned on'." Rebekah offered helpfully. Her expression shifted into a mischievous one, the corners of her lips turning up into a smirk. "Although, sister...there is one thing..."

"What?" Audrea turned to face Rebekah.

"There's this _girl_...her name is Caroline Forbes. She is a vampire, well she was turned quite recently." Rebekah said. "And Nik seems to be...infatuated with her. The girl has been leading him on, in my opinion. She likes another guy, a hybrid Nik created. She quite likes Nik's attention, though ." Rebekah, sensing that a dangerous fury was rising up in her sister-in-law, quickly tried to ease her worries. "His infatuation is quite a shallow one, really, I assure you. He would never leave you for her. Not in a million years. No one could compare to you."

Despite Rebekah's assurance, Audrea's eyes narrowed. Her fingers curled around the end of the armchair and she declared in a soft but dangerous tone, "Seems they both need to be taught a _lesson_."

Rebekah was delighted. Having her sister-in-law back was a dream come true. She added eagerly, "Her friend, the doppelgänger, also backstabbed me. Literally. She pretended to be my friend and as I was trying out that dress, the one I was wearing yesterday, she stabbed me with the dagger."

Audrea lifted her chin, anger flashing in her eyes. "Has this whole town gone _mad_?"

Rebekah grinned excitedly. "So I assume you'll be restoring some balance?"

"It appears I am the only one with enough sense to, considering my ridiculous husband has been parading around foolishly in an attempt to showcase his strength and display his big, _bad_ wolf qualities."

Rebekah giggled.

"Sister, hand me that contraption you showed me earlier." Audrea held out a hand expectantly.

Rebekah placed the phone in her hand and said, "It's called a phone. Well, also known as smartphone, cell phone, etcetera. The list goes on and on."

Audrea looked down at the phone disdainfully and sighed, "It seems I will be spending the entire day catching up on this era's culture. I've missed too much."

"Nik won't be happy about that." Rebekah smirked. "I bet he's dying to get you in bed again. I'm surprised you didn't break the entire house yesterday."

"Well he's just going to have to deal with it." Audrea snapped. "This is his fault, after all."

She pressed something on the phone and lifted it to her ear. A few seconds passed before she spoke.

"Elijah, brother. What kind of ball are you throwing?"

 **※**

"Rebekah, tell me how handsome I look." Kol spread his hands proudly, admiring himself in the mirror.

Rebekah sighed. "Oh, Kol. You know I can't be compelled."

Finn smirked from where he was having his suit adjusted, as did Elijah, who was holding up a leather shoe and inspecting it with a critical eye.

Kol frowned and turned to his sister-in-law. "Rea, tell her how handsome I look."

"Kol, dear." Audrea sighed, nudging him out of the way and holding up two dresses to compare. Once she decided she liked neither of them, she tossed them aside and turned to Kol, reaching forward and straightening his bow tie. She patted him twice on the chest and tilted her head. "Now you know my type of man is a little _wilder_. You look good enough, I suppose. But you know you'll never match up to my husband."

Rebekah snorted in laughter as Kol's expression turned annoyed and he rolled his eyes, declaring, "You have no taste."

"So you've made up with my brother?" Kol continued and waggled his eyebrows. "Did he tell you why he daggered _you_ , his one true love?"

"Like you don't know." Audrea snapped, her eyes flashing. "He told me last night what you were saying back then about me behind my back. Can't you control your mouth? "

"Well..." Kol shrugged. "I don't particularly care for controlling it."

He smirked and taunted, "Though I'm sure that's not the only reason he daggered you. Come on, out with it."

Audrea sighed and held up another dress to inspect. "He will tell me in time. I trust him, but I am also determined enough to get it out of him. For now, though I will be patient."

Kol groaned in exasperation. "You are _such_ a pushover."

Audrea's eyes flashed and her hand shot out to grip Kol by the neck. "Don't _ever_ presume to dictate what I choose to do in my marriage with Nik. Understand?"

Kol narrowed his eyes dangerously but he nodded. Had anyone else dared touch him like that, he would have ripped them to _shreds_. But this was Audrea, who had stood by their sides for centuries. When things began to fall apart, she was the one who put things back together. Besides, she was Klaus's wife and he was pretty sure if he dared to even look at her sideways, Klaus would inevitably dagger him once more.

Klaus stormed into the room towards Rebekah, his expression furious.

"You went after Elena." He growled. "What is _wrong_ with you?"

Rebekah leaned back and smiled sardonically. "Here we go."

"Do you want another dagger in your heart?" Klaus threatened, staring down at her angrily.

Kol perched on top of an armchair and shook his head, amused. "Again with the dagger threats? Don't you have any other tricks?"

Klaus whirled around to face his brother. "Oh, go back to staring at yourself."

"And who are you, my father?" Kol taunted.

Audrea stilled, shifting her gaze from her brother-in-law to her husband, whose posture stiffened. Klaus turned around again and snapped, "No, Kol. But you're in _my_ house."

"Then perhaps we should go outside." Kol stood up and walked forward, leaving only a foot's distance between the two. They stared at each other challengingly, the tension growing thicker by the second, until finally Audrea intervened.

"That's enough!" She placed a hand on each of their chests and pushed them apart. She could tell from the way Klaus's heart was beating that he was furious, and that the standoff would have become bloody had she not interrupted. She turned and placed both her hands on Klaus's cheeks, tilting his head down slightly so he would meet her gaze.

"Nik, the doppelgänger drove a dagger through Rebekah's _back_. You can't have expected her to stand around after that." Audrea smoothed a hand through his hair and gave him a pointed look. "I would have done the same if it had happened to me. What would you have done then, hmm? Drive a dagger through _my_ heart?"

Klaus stared down at his wife, the fury inside him slowly settling down, his expression turning slightly guilty. Audrea turned to face Kol with a disapproving look.

"And Kol. Don't rile him up so." She said, folding her arms. "You're not five years old."

Kol sighed and shook his head, picking up an empty glass from the table and inspecting his reflection in it. "I honestly _still_ don't see what you see in my brother. You could do so much better."

Klaus snarled furiously, pushing Audrea aside to get to his brother.

" _Niklaus!_ "

He stilled, and swiveled around to look at his wife. She lifted her chin and held up something between her index and middle fingers.

"I do believe you have an invitation to deliver." Audrea mused, waving the invitation in the air. She glanced at it, and squinted, as if she didn't know what was on it. "To a _Miss Caroline Forbes_."

The distraction worked, as Klaus paled in realization and he stepped towards her, palms up.

"Love, she means nothing to me. I _promise_ you." He urged, silently begging for her to understand. "I haven't done anything with her. I _swear_ it."

He turned to glower at Rebekah, who simply smirked and shrugged.

"Good." Audrea walked up to Klaus and stared at him challengingly, hooking a finger in his jeans and pulling him forward. She raised her hand and slipped the invitation between his lips. "Then I look forward to you proving it tonight at the ball."

Kol whistled, chuckling lowly. " _Dra-ma_."

"Oh, shut it, Kol." Rebekah rolled her eyes, but eagerly turned her attention back to watch the interaction.

Audrea simply turned around and exited the room. She could feel Klaus's eyes following the way her hips swayed as she walked away from him, her skirt dancing around her thighs.

Things in this town needed to change, and she would be the one to do it if no one else, not even Elijah, dared to.

 **※**

 **Mystic Grill**

"It's all so weird." Elena stated, settling into her seat. "The Originals are throwing a ball. Like...an actual _ball_."

"It's some twisted Cinderella fetish is what it is." Caroline snapped, looking disgusted. "And who wrote the message asking to meet you?"

"I have no idea," Elena shook her head. "One of Klaus's siblings? I guess there's only one way to find out."

Caroline leaned back and gave Elena a pointed look. "I thought you told Damon and Stefan that you weren't going."

"I did," Elena replied, leaning forward. "Which is all the more reason why I need a drama-free bodyguard."

"Well, I think a Salvatore would look a lot better in a tux, and by that, I mean Stefan." Caroline tilted her head at Elena.

Elena groaned and shook her head. "Uhhh, I can't deal with either of the Salvatores right now. Whatever Stefan's feeling, he's channeling it all against Klaus, and Damon...it's just not a good idea."

"Why?" Caroline challenged. "Cause you two made out?"

Elena leaned back, stunned, and stared at her friend who admitted, "Bonnie spilled the beans."

"I was gonna tell you." Elena said guiltily, sighing. "It's just after everything that happened with your dad..."

"Elena," Caroline leaned forward. "When you and Matt kissed for the first time this freshman year, you called me the _second_ it happened. I don't hear about this until now? From somebody _else_?"

Elena shook her head again, struggling for something to say. "I-I'm sorry. It's just...I don't even know how I feel about it yet. All I do know is that...it just used to be so much easier."

She stared off into space, reminiscing, while Caroline looked down sadly.

"Careful, Caroline."

An unpleasantly familiar voice interrupted the two.

"It's all well and good till she stabs you in the back." Rebekah walked up next to their table. Her appearance was as perfect as usual, her blonde hair up high in a ponytail, long dangling earrings hanging from her ears.

Elena tensed. "What are you doing here? I know Elijah's rules. No hurting the locals."

"Get over yourself, Elena." Rebekah smirked. "It's not all about you."

As she walked away, Elena and Caroline watched her, and frustration built up in Caroline when she saw the Mikaelson walking towards Matt and pulling out an invitation.

"Oh my god." Caroline observed. "She's inviting him to the ball. _Why is she inviting him_?"

"Probably to get this reaction from us." Elena replied, her eyes narrowing at Rebekah. She looked back at Caroline, but was distracted as a someone from across the restaurant called out.

"Oh, _Bekah!_ "

Caroline turned in her seat to see as well. A stunningly beautiful woman stood in the entrance to the Grill and was waving a hand at the Mikaelson.

"Time to go!"

Rebekah beamed and quickly ended her conversation with Matt, striding towards the woman. "Coming, sister."

Caroline turned back to Elena, her mouth open. Elena looked surprised as well.

" _How many Mikaelsons are there?!"_

 **※**

 **Salvatore Boarding House**

"Let me get this straight." Damon pinched the bridge of his nose with his fingers. "You want to link your children using Elena's blood, kill one of them, therefore killing all of them, and then what? That's it? Things can't be that simple. How are you going to kill one of them?"

Esther said plainly, "I have a son who is willing to make the sacrifice. My eldest."

"Ah, the old guy." Damon nodded.

"Finn." Esther reminded him, pursing her lips. "He is a devoted son and understands why I must undo my wrongs."

"Wait. But if you connect Klaus, Elijah, Rebekah, Kol, and Finn with Elena's blood because they're siblings, then what about Klaus's wife? She's not related by blood...is she?"

"No, she is not." Esther said, frowning. "Audrea is...by all purposes the perfect daughter...she is everything I wished for Niklaus when he was human."

"What changed?"

"I was mistaken." Esther's eyes grew cold. "She has let Niklaus go astray. I thought her love would be enough to reign him in. I have watched...for a thousand years from the Other Side...hoping for her to change him, to make him see what he was doing was wrong. But she loves him too much. She makes sacrifices for him that I simply cannot understand. She has changed as well. When I knew her, Audrea was a beautiful and strong young woman who knew wrong from right, who would not harm others without good reason. When she lost her family, she changed. Become darker. I thought that making them immortal would help them help each other. I was wrong."

"They've been alive for like a thousand years." Damon rolled his eyes. "Surely, you should have expected that?"

Stefan asked, "So then what are you going to do about her? She's still old and powerful, and when she finds out you killed Klaus..."

"Which is why I need to take her first." Esther stated.

"What?" Damon raised his eyebrows incredulously.

She continued, "She still sees me as a devoted and loving mother. She was furious when Niklaus murdered me. So if I can lure her alone, I can trap her before I kill my children and get to her later."

"But...why do you need our help?" Damon drawled. "Except for the fact that you need Elena's blood."

"I've observed Elena Gilbert for a while." Esther stated. "She thinks of my second eldest, Elijah, more highly than she does the others. In my opinion, it will be hard for her to agree to this plan if she finds out what the purpose of her blood is for. I care not for killing Elena Gilbert, contrary to your assumptions. I simply need her blood. One drop of it would suffice."

"So what do you need _us_ to do?"

"I want you to get me her blood." Esther faced them and coolly clasped her hands together. "Before the ball tonight. Only then can I proceed with my plan. You wish to be free of Niklaus, do you not? This is your chance."

Stefan and Damon exchanged looks and were silent for a long moment before Damon smirked.

"We'll do it."

 **※**

 **Mikaelson Mansion**

Caroline stepped into the mansion, looking around uncomfortably. The grandeur of it, the well-dressed people, it was all a little overwhelming...but she had to admit it was thrilling, in a sense. And though she hated Klaus _so_ much for taking Tyler away from her, his attention was flattering, and useful, especially since if he was distracted by her, he wouldn't bother her friends as much. And...the gifts he showered on her, while annoying, certainly didn't hurt, considering how expensive most of them were.

She saw Klaus across the room chatting with a woman she recognized from the local art museum. He turned his head briefly and his gaze fell on her. She lifted her chin haughtily and began marching across the room towards him. However, before she could open her mouth to say something, the music playing in the background changed and a movement at the top of the staircase stole Klaus's attention. She looked up to see what he was staring at.

Caroline's eyes widened. The woman she had seen earlier that day with Rebekah was standing at the top of the staircase, hand resting gently on the banister, examining the crowd beneath her. Rebekah was standing next to her, and when her gaze fell on Caroline, she smiled. Caroline tensed. It wasn't a friendly smile and it certainly didn't produce a pleasant feeling in her.

The woman began to walk down the grand staircase, her steps light, making it almost seem like she was gliding. The blood red chiffon gown she was wearing complimented her skin perfectly and showed off her figure as the skirts fluttered around her every time she moved. Whenever the woman shifted slightly, her long and slender leg could be seen from the slit that ran up the side of the gown. The fabric shimmered like a waterfall, and it was probably the most beautiful dress Caroline had ever seen. The woman's posture was regal, and the aura she was giving off...it felt ancient and dangerously powerful. The feeling had been muted in the Grill but now that the woman was so elegantly dressed, her black hair coiffed up stylishly, she seemed all the more formidable.

Caroline turned her gaze back to Klaus who was staring at the woman with his mouth slightly open. He seemed entranced as he began to absentmindedly move towards the staircase. Caroline frowned. She moved forward, in an attempt to get his attention again, but froze when Klaus reached the woman at the base of the stairs and offered her his arm. The woman took it and beamed at him, placing her other hand on his cheek and tilting his head so she could press a light kiss to his lips.

Shock rushed through her when she saw Klaus's body shift as his free arm curled around the woman's waist so he could easily reciprocate and deepen the kiss. She saw his lips curve up into a smile when he brought his hand to the back of the woman's neck. What...was going on?

"You don't look too pleased." A voice observed. "No date tonight?"

Caroline turned to glare at Rebekah, who looked at her smugly.

"What do you want?" She snapped.

Rebekah sighed happily and looked over at where her brother and the woman stood. It was as if she had been waiting a long time for this moment. "Oh, just to revel in your bravery actually. You've been trying to play hard-to-get with a married man. Astonishing, really. You best be prepared for some long and dreadful torture because my sister-in-law isn't quite into sharing what belongs to her."

" _What?_ " Caroline whipped her head around to stare at Rebekah, but the blonde Mikaelson had vanished.

She looked back at Klaus, who was smiling softly down at the woman, his hand against her cheek and his thumb gently running along her bottom lip. Disbelief rushed through her. Caroline had never seen that kind of expression on Klaus, not even during the times when he had looked at her.

Caroline began to search the room, looking for someone. When she found him, she rushed towards him as gracefully as she could in a dress, one that looked childish and ridiculous now that she had seen what the woman was wearing.

"Damon," Caroline snapped, gripping the Salvatore brother's arm tightly. "Who is that?"

Damon raised his eyebrows and said sarcastically, "Well hello to you too, vampire Barbie."

"Cut it out." She said, frustrated. She directed his line of sight towards Klaus. "Who is that woman?"

"Ohhh..." Damon's expression changed and he gave her a look of pity, albeit one that was slightly amused too. "Yeah...about that..."

"Who is she?" Caroline hissed. A panic was rising up inside her, and despite her immortality, being in a house with the oldest vampires in the world was making her feel very small and _very_ helpless.

"That's Klaus's wife." Damon replied. "Audrea Mikaelson."

Caroline went numb. All she could hear was a loud buzzing in her ears. A rush of emotions was flooding through her. Shock, betrayal, despair, and most of all, an irrepressible sense of fear.

"...were married before Klaus was turned."

Caroline turned back to Damon, not having heard a word of what he had said after 'Audrea Mikaelson' and asked, " _What_ did you just say?"

Damon sighed but repeated, "They were married before Klaus was turned. She's an Original, and is as old as he is."

Caroline stared at Damon and abruptly turned her gaze back on the woman, Audrea Mikaelson. An unpleasant feeling ran through her when she realized the woman was now looking in her direction. Audrea met her gaze and simply winked and placed a hand on Klaus's chest, as if to say ' _mine_ ' , and at that moment, dread overtook everything Caroline was feeling. _She_ _knew. Audrea Mikaelson, Klaus's wife, knew who she was._

* * *

 **A/N: Hi, everyone! Thanks for reading and for** **sticking with this story and I'll see you next chapter!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Uhhh lol so I'm not dead! I know it's been a while, but it's been a super busy past couple of months so I just recently got my shit together and am gonna be updating more often now. Hopefully, not all of you have lost interest yet! To those who still stuck around, I love you all and am super grateful for your continual support.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing but my OC and maybe a few other characters later on in the story. All rights go to their respective owners. Rating of the overall story will probably change in the future.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

"Hmmm." Audrea mused, bringing a glass of champagne to her lips as she gazed over the crowd at the blonde who stood among all the other guests, frozen, looking back at her.

Klaus tilted his head to follow her gaze. Upon seeing Caroline, he chuckled lowly. "Really, love, you don't have to intimidate her so."

Audrea's eyes narrowed as she glanced back up at him. "Worried about her, are you?"

"Of course not. Are you jealous, love?" Klaus leaned down to press a reassuring kiss against her temple.

"Yes." Audrea stated simply. "I've been away for two hundred years and in that time, I have no idea how many women you've been with. Forgive me if I'm just a tad bit worried about this girl, who clearly, according to Rebekah, you fancied."

"Rebekah likes to make everything a hundred times more dramatic than they truly are. You shouldn't take her word for anything." Klaus muttered darkly, before clearing his throat and clarifying, "For the last time, I haven't slept with a single woman since I...daggered you. _Passing_ fancies, I assure you. No one could compare to you."

He grimaced slightly; he had been hoping to avoid mentioning the whole daggering bit ever again. Two broken jaws and several absurdly _hefty_ credit card bills later—the only thing he regretted about having his wife out of her coffin was her reunion with Rebekah—Klaus was quite sure he never wanted to get on Audrea's bad side ever again. The resentment she still held for him daggering her was clear in the way she had mercilessly tortured him earlier in the day by trying on the lingerie she'd bought in front of him—' _looking,_ no touching' she had reminded him. Klaus hadn't been able to touch her for a whole _day_ , and though he'd spent the past two centuries without her, getting to taste and touch her the night before had rapidly reminded him of the hopeless addiction he had for his wife. Klaus was at the end of his rope and thought he might go quite mad if she continued her aloof behavior towards him.

"Rebekah is the most sensible of you all, apart from perhaps Elijah." Audrea pursed her lips. "Although that whole Tatia fiasco did have me questioning his sanity."

"Rea, my darling, truly you must give me a dance." Kol stepped up next to them, eyeing the guests critically. "This bunch seem altogether too boring."

"Find your own girl." Klaus glowered, his arm wrapping around Audrea's hip, clearly annoyed by the interruption.

"I had one." Kol sniffed. "But the way she was babbling on and on—no doubt she was too entranced by my good looks to speak properly—really just made me want to snap her neck, but Elijah would murder me if I did, so here I am, off to steal your wife, Nik."

"Elijah won't _have_ a chance to murder you because I'll shove a dagger up your— _"_

"Children," Audrea interrupted, sighing in exasperation. "Please, no fighting. Of course I'll dance with you, Kol—don't give me that look, Nik, he is my brother after all. But first...why don't we make the baby vampire feel welcome, Nik? She looks far too lonely by herself."

 **※**

"Enjoying the party?"

Caroline felt a cold chill run down her back when she turned and found herself facing Klaus...and his wife.

"I do hope you like the dress I sent you," the woman sighed, her eyes running down Caroline's body inquisitively. "Rebekah and I agreed that it suited you...perfectly. A darling little dress for a darling little vampire. Isn't she just a _fetching_ baby vampire, Nik?"

"Mmm." Klaus only glanced at her dress noncommittally, and the _amusement_ in his eyes sent Caroline reeling.

Caroline felt a lump rising up in her throat when the woman's lips curled mockingly. She stammered incoherently, "You...you sent me this dress?"

"Of course." Audrea smiled, but it was far from a friendly smile. Her eyes were dangerous, and they held volumes of warning in them. "Surely, you didn't expect _Nik_ to send you anything? Sweetheart, _I_ invited you. Tell me, were you perhaps expecting anything from _my husband_ tonight?"

Caroline froze when the woman's hand lifted and touched her cheek. To anyone who might have glanced at them, it looked like Audrea was simply caressing her cheek, but the pressure Caroline felt on her jaw said otherwise. Pain shot through her cheekbones as the woman leaned in close, her fingers tightening around Caroline's jaw.

"I'm quite possessive, Miss Forbes. I like to think it to be one of my best qualities, in fact. I don't _share_. I'm sure my lovely sister Bekah has made this clear to you already? So whatever you may feel for Niklaus, whatever delusions you may have entertained...I suggest you rid yourself of any. Else you may find I can make your life _extremely_ unpleasant."

Suddenly, the pressure on her jaw was gone and Caroline watched as Audrea was pushed backwards abruptly. The Original took a couple steps backwards but was steadied by Klaus, who wrapped an arm around her waist. Caroline took a shuddering breath and looked up at her savior.

"She bothering you, vampire Barbie?"

Caroline had never been as glad to see Damon Salvatore as she was now, but her relief was cut short when she heard a growl rip from Klaus's throat. The Original hybrid stepped forward, a dark look passing over his face.

"Touch my wife again, and you'll lose your limbs, Damon."

Damon scoffed, but his eyes were wary as they scanned Klaus's posture.

The tension between the older vampires was palpable, the moment interrupted as a loud voice rang out from the grand staircase.

"Uh, if everyone could gather, please." Elijah announced from his spot in the middle of the staircase. Caroline could see the other Mikaelson siblings, Rebekah and Kol, making their way up to join him.

She turned back to the remaining Originals in time to see Klaus shoot Damon another dark look before offering his arm for Audrea to take, the two brushing past the younger vampires to join the rest of their family.

Damon nodded to Caroline before heading off, no doubt in search of Elena.

Elijah held up his glass, spreading his arms warmly. "Welcome. Thank you for joining us. You know, whenever my family is brought together like this, it is tradition for us to commence the evening with a dance. Tonight's pick is a centuries old waltz, so if all of you could find yourselves a partner, please join us in the ballroom."

Caroline watched as Klaus turned to Audrea and held out an arm.

"Be my partner, love?" His smirk, that infernal expression that Caroline had found herself on the receiving end so many times before, was now directed at Audrea, who shot him a faux glare but took his arm anyway, a small smile lingering on her lips afterwards.

Caroline grimaced, when she saw Audrea Mikaelson turn to wink at her again. It was going to be a long night.

 **※**

 **Salvatore Boarding House**

Damon slammed the door open, utterly furious. Stefan had dared snap _his_ neck, dared go behind _his_ back, and all for what? To put Elena in as much danger as she could get in, right in the Originals' den. His younger brother had gone mad, truly. Although Elena _had_ revealed that all she did was meet with Klaus's wife, it still bothered him to no end that the two had gone behind his back, disrespecting all his warnings.

"It is done."

He snapped out of his momentary rage, confused, before he realized that Esther Mikaelson was speaking to him. Admittedly, he had almost forgotten she was staying at their house for the moment, so intense was his anger.

"What?" He walked closer, tossing his suit jacket carelessly onto the leather couch.

Esther traced her finger over a rolled up bit of parchment lying next to the sage she had kept burning. "When my children drank during the toast at the party, they ingested the drop of Elena's blood you provided. All I need now is for my eldest son to take his leave from his siblings to come here and provide me with his blood to complete the link. When that is done, they will all be linked as one—apart from Audrea of course, but we shan't worry about that for now—and so when one goes, they all go."

" _What_?" The question came from the entrance to the house this time, where Elena and Stefan stood, having returned soon after Damon had. Damon shot the two of them a disgruntled look, still miffed about their actions, but kept his attention on Esther.

Elena made her way into the living room, eyes fixated on Damon. "I didn't...I thought we were getting rid of _Klaus_...not..."

Esther clearly hadn't expected for Elena to be made aware of the linking part of her plan, since Damon and Stefan had only revealed that she was helping them kill Klaus, but took it all in stride. She seemed to understand Elena's reservations and said in a placating tone, "When I turned them to protect them from werewolves...I had not expected...in no time at all, they began to feed on human blood and ravaged the town with no remorse. Eventually, Niklaus turned against me. So you see, it is of import that he not be made aware of my existence. It could result in...catastrophic consequences. I love my family, Elena, but they are an _abomination_. I betrayed nature when I created them...it's my duty to kill them."

Elena's expression was stunned, and Damon could practically see her conscience battling with itself. He narrowed his eyes.

"My eldest son spiked the drinks with the drop of blood you so graciously provided, Elena," Esther continued. "By the end of the night, they will be linked as one."

A knock on the door signaled a visitor and Esther's chin lifted expectantly.

"That would be Finn. Please, let him in."

 **※**

 **Mikaelson Mansion**

Audrea sighed and stretched, turning her head from side to side to relieve the tension there as she sauntered into the large living room where a fire crackled pleasantly in the fireplace. She'd just changed from her red party dress to an oversized but comfortable shirt she'd found when she had been digging around Klaus's closet earlier in the day. Forsaking any pants was daring, considering the shirt only reached slightly past mid-thigh—Klaus wasn't _that_ much taller than her, thank you very much—but it wasn't like she hadn't done this in front of his family before with his other tunics or shirts. She saw Klaus's eyes darken possessively once he saw what she was wearing as she made her way closer.

Audrea yawned and flopped onto the couch, throwing her legs over her husband's lap and snuggling closer. A relieved sigh escaped his lips and she smirked inwardly. She hadn't allowed him to really touch her for the entire day, and it seemed it had been a far greater punishment for him than she had predicted. She would have loved to continue it for an entire _month_ , but unfortunately, she couldn't take much more of being apart from Klaus either and she had always been partial to his body. It wouldn't be healthy for her if she couldn't feel up her own husband for an extended period of time.

Klaus's hand quickly came to settle on her outer thigh, stroking her bare skin absentmindedly as she wriggled around to get more comfortable. He was holding a book with the other hand, and had also changed out of his suit to a simple black v-necked shirt and a pair of white, drawstring pants. She flung her arms around his neck and beamed, turning Klaus's face towards her so she could gaze into his eyes, one of her hands slipping down to finger his many necklaces. Oh, he did have such _pretty_ eyes.

His lips twitched knowingly. "Tired?"

"Mhm." Audrea closed her eyes and rested her head on Klaus's shoulder. "The doppelgänger was... _infuriating_ , to say the least. I don't like her. What I wouldn't give to wring the trollop's pretty little neck. She's not half as bad as Tatia or...gods forbid...Katerina, though."

"Try not to kill her, love," Klaus hummed inattentively, though Audrea could see a hint of warning in his eyes when she looked back up at him. "I do still need her blood, after all."

Kol all but flounced into the room, a pleased expression on his face; no doubt he was satisfied with his actions earlier in the evening. "Where's my cuddle?"

At that, Audrea snorted. "You don't get one, not after the spectacle you pulled today. You wouldn't get one regardless. I'm reserved for Nik."

"Killjoy." Kol declared and narrowed his eyes at Klaus's smug expression.

Upon seeing Audrea's state of dress, or lack thereof, he smirked and continued, "You are looking _good_ , darling. I've a couple shirts myself you are _more_ than welcome to try on. Wouldn't want you to get too smelly with the scent of _dog._ "

Audrea rolled her eyes but patted Klaus's hand when he lowered the book he was reading to send his brother a glare. She knew Kol's flirtations, however harmless since she knew he really only saw her as his sister-in-law, annoyed Klaus to no end. They were part of reasons Klaus had daggered Kol for in the past so she really didn't understand _why_ he continued to instigate Klaus's infamous temper, though she suspected Kol was doing it _just for the hell of it._

A stiletto flew in from behind Kol, but he avoided it easily, shifting slightly so it sailed past his head and embedded itself in the wall instead. Klaus sighed in irritation—Audrea knew he'd just gotten them redone not long ago—but he didn't move to confront the perpetrator. Rebekah stormed in after, incensed.

"He was my _date!_ " the blonde Mikaelson all but shrieked. "And now he won't even look at me. How are you going to fix this, Kol?"

"Fix?" Kol had a genuinely puzzled look on his face as he turned to look at his younger sister. "Now why on earth would I do _that_? He's just a commoner, Bekah, really, no need to get so riled up."

Rebekah took a controlled breath before moving to throw the other stiletto, but Audrea intervened before she could.

"Rebekah, love, he isn't _worth_ it. Any boy willing to look past you isn't right in the head. Besides, you _could_ do so much better than that human. Don't lose your temper with Kol, you know he's just being an idiot as always."

Kol looked at Audrea with an affronted expression but collapsed in an armchair and threw his leg over one of the armrests, lacing his hands behind his head and closing his eyes. "Bekah, you _really_ need to find someone you won't _break_ when you inevitably jump their bones."

Rebekah opened her mouth, no doubt to insult Kol again, but was distracted when Elijah moved into the room wearing a pensive expression.

"He's thinking again." Kol observed distastefully. "Stop him, it always gives me headaches."

Rebekah rolled her eyes but asked, "Elijah, what's wrong?"

"Have you noticed anything strange about Finn?" Elijah wondered, coming to a halt in front of the fireplace, peering at the table Klaus had propped his legs up on.

"Apart from the fact that he's been asleep for nine hundred years and that I'm pretty sure he's gone a bit mad?" Kol scoffed and unlaced his fingers from behind his head to settle his hands on his stomach. "He's bound to have a few quirks...hopefully he'll get the hang of the modern century soon though and won't get hit by any cars or trains..."

Audrea tried to keep herself from laughing because Kol's expression clearly expressed that he _wouldn't_ mind if his snobbish, eldest brother was attacked by moving vehicles.

"No, that's not quite what I mean," Elijah's eyebrows furrowed. "He's been disappearing as of late...coming back at obscenely early or late hours, and he hardly speaks. His mind is elsewhere. Even tonight...he left soon after we cleaned up Kol's mess."

Klaus lowered his book. "He barely spoke when he was human. Do you really expect him to give up that dull habit?"

Elijah didn't look satisfied by the answer but he stopped talking and exited the room, though his mind was clearly still hung up over the matter.

A couple minutes passed before Klaus closed his book with a _snap_ and looked down at Audrea, who had stopped playing with his necklaces and was struggling to keep her eyes open. His lips quirked into a soft smile, and he easily swept his arms under her, lifting her up. "Time for bed, love."

Audrea returned his smile and wearily tightened her arms around his neck as he straightened.

Kol groaned as his brother passed him, "Christ, that's disgusting to watch."

"It's _romantic_ , Kol, don't be daft." Rebekah cooed, but when her older brother and sister-in-law disappeared from the room, she realized she was now alone with the brother who had tried to murder her date. She huffed and scooped up her high heels, shooting her brother an annoyed look before leaving while muttering, "I need a drink."

"Don't stay out all night, Bekah!" Kol called after her. "It's not becoming!"

 **※**

 **Mystic Grill**

Elena glowered down at her empty mug of coffee. "He was gloating. Like, actual gloating. Like he was proud of himself for sleeping with her."

Caroline and Bonnie exchanged glances before nodding sympathetically at Elena. They'd been on this topic for quite a while now. Elena sighed. She'd gone by Damon and Stefan's house to try and vent about her frustrations with Esther's plan to kill _all_ of her children, but they had only shot her down, saying that it was in their best interests to let the witch kill them all. And, the little bit with Damon parading around shirtless with Rebekah still dressed in last night's gown irked her so much she wanted to smash something. He was clearly only trying to get back at her for defying his words the day before.

Caroline flipped her hair over her shoulders and replied, "Elena, Damon's like...a literal man hoe. I don't understand _what_ you're seeing in him. You look much better on Stefan's arm than his."

She gave Elena a pointed look, signalling that the conversation about Damon's promiscuous activities had gone on long enough.

The three friends rose and made their way out of the Grill, finished with their lunch.

"You know..." Bonnie said hesitantly, looking around to make sure no one was listening. She lowered her voice. "Esther came to see me and Abby this morning."

Elena stilled and gaped at the witch, as did Caroline. "And all this time, you let me vent about Damon?"

Bonnie sighed carelessly, "I don't want you to worry."

"Ok, well, what did she want?" Elena was desperate to know anything pertaining to what the powerful witch was up to.

"She wanted to introduce herself. Abby and I helped bring her back. She's channeling our entire ancestral bloodline for power. I think she thought she was being polite." Bonnie shrugged and continued to walk, Elena and Caroline following closely.

"Ok, well, is there a way to stop her from channeling you?"

Bonnie frowned. "Even if there was, why would I want that?"

Elena gazed at her friend, conflicting emotions rushing through her like a hurricane. "I just keep thinking...before the sun and the moon ritual, Elijah found a way to keep me alive. And now, I'm in the exact same position, and I'm just gonna let him die? ...It just doesn't feel right."

"Elena, you are not doing this." Caroline stopped and gripped Elena's arms. "Esther is doing this."

A cold wind blew past the three and ruffled the leaves in the park that they had just arrived at.

"There's no time to change your mind, Elena. He'll be dead by the end of the night."

Elena stared at Bonnie, confused and shocked. "What?"

"It's a full moon. Esther needs to harness the energy of a celestial event. She asked me and Abby to join her." Bonnie clarified. She glanced down at her watch. "I gotta go...just...trust me on this, Elena. It's for the best."

Elena and Caroline watched as Bonnie hurried off in the direction of her house. Caroline turned to Elena and exhaled sharply.

"Elena, Bonnie's right. It's for the best."

 **※**

 **Mikaelson Mansion**

Audrea flipped through Klaus's sketchpad, biting her lip and grinning at the numerous pages filled with sketches of her likeness. He could be _so_ romantic sometimes. And though his drawings were truly beautiful, she had always found it amusing that some of the greatest artists in history had been commissioned by Klaus time and time again. Her coffin—though she disliked the fact she even had one—was just one example, as Klaus had revealed that the intricate engravings on her coffin had been done by _Donatello_. She'd nearly broken Klaus's jaw again then, since that meant he had commissioned the coffin a couple hundred years _before_ she had even been daggered.

"Are my siblings home?"

Her thoughts were interrupted when she lifted her head to see Finn enter Klaus's drawing room. Audrea furrowed her eyebrows. The eldest Mikaelson brother never sought after her for any reason. He had always seemed to want to avoid her, probably because he didn't think she was quite right in the head for marrying his younger brother, as he had expressed to her numerous times in the past. _Damaged_ , Finn had said multiple times. _Unstable_. The warnings had irritated Audrea. Who had he thought he was to try and advise her to leave Nik? If she was really as weak-minded as Finn apparently thought her to be, she might as well just have staked herself with white oak centuries ago. No, she wouldn't leave her husband for _anything._

"No. Nik is out with Kol and I don't quite know where Elijah or Bekah are." She lowered the sketchpad. "Did you need something?"

"Not from them, no." Finn's eyes fixated on hers. "From you."

Later, she would curse herself for not following her instincts, for they warned her there was something off about his behavior, as Elijah had noted the night before, but there was a part of her that was happy he was talking to her. She'd always wanted to get closer to the eldest Mikaelson, as he was the only one of Klaus's siblings she didn't seem to have a good relationship with. Family was extremely important to her, and sometimes she wondered if it was more valuable to her than even to her husband.

"Is there something wrong?" Audrea put the sketchpad back down from where she had picked it up and stepped closer to Finn.

Finn tilted his head and was silent for a moment, seemingly to confirm Audrea's statement of where his siblings were, before dropping his bombshell announcement listlessly, "My mother is alive."

Audrea gaped. " _What_? Esther? Where is she? Why hasn't she—"

Finn lifted a hand to cut her off. "You will remember that Niklaus murdered her centuries ago. She is apprehensive about coming forward and revealing her existence to him just yet. However, she does want to speak with you so she was hoping you would take some time to meet with her."

Audrea blinked before quickly replying, "Y-yes, of course!"

"One more thing," Finn continued. "Do not let Niklaus know about this. My mother truly wishes for her to be able to...get some things together before reuniting with the rest of my siblings."

She nodded and rushed out of the room. "Just let me grab my coat!"

 **※**

 **Mystic Grill**

Klaus lifted his glass of wine, watching the dim light of the bar pass through the dark red liquid. In all honesty, there was nothing here to interest him and he would have loved nothing more than to rejoin his wife back at the mansion—perhaps he could have had a chance to make love to her again tonight—but Kol's guilt trip had dragged him out of the house, so here he was. He glanced at his younger brother. The idiot seemed intent on drinking the whole bar. Kol was eyeing a brunette playing pool a couple feet away, though Klaus could see no appeal to the woman. No, no woman had ever caught his interest like Rea had centuries ago, and even if one did by chance, they were pale, _pale_ comparisons to his wife.

"Isn't that the baby vampire?"

Klaus realized Kol was now staring at the entrance to the Grill, and he followed his brother's gaze. "I had hoped Rea would have ripped her head off at the ball, but that may have been too much to ask for. That's not really her style though, is it? She's like you, just loves tearing people's hearts out. Regardless, she was far too boring at the ball. I need to hang out with her more, spice things up a bit. Don't you agree, Nik?"

Klaus scoffed, but his eyes followed Caroline carefully, who made her way towards the two Originals.

When she was standing in front of them, she frowned and asked, "Can...can I talk to you, Klaus?"

Klaus raised his eyebrows in amusement. He gestured at her. "Certainly. Have at it."

Caroline narrowed her eyes but her shoulders straightened with determination, motioning towards the entrance to the Grill. "Alone."

"Oooh..." Kol smirked behind the glass he had raised to his lips. "Careful, Nik. Rea _just might_ hear about this tomorrow, and you _just might_ lose your family jewels as well!"

Klaus drained and tossed his glass at Kol, who caught it with his free hand. "That would only happen if you lie, as it is your most annoying quality, and in that case, you'll find you'll be missing yours as well."

Kol sniggered but didn't reply.

Klaus gestured in front of him to Caroline. "After you."

They walked in silence until the two were a distance away from the restaurant, upon which Caroline spun around.

"What the hell was that yesterday?"

Klaus merely quirked an eyebrow up in question. "What the hell was what yesterday?"

"How come you never told me you had a _wife_?" Caroline exclaimed, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world—which, Klaus had to admit, it was. "All those times, all those gifts, were you...trying to _cheat_ on her with me? Because honestly, then you need to clear things up with her. I did _not_ know about her and I don't really like the idea of her coming after me, my friends, or my family out of vengeance!"

"Relax, love—"

" _Don't call me that!_ "

Klaus chuckled, "Why would I tell you about her? Only people I truly care about know about her. My family. You, Caroline, mistook my intentions towards you."

Caroline looked confused and betrayed. "Then all the presents...the drawings..."

"Purely for amusement's sake, I assure you. You were useful, to say the least, and I'd hoped to use you against your...little gang, but never mind that now. Things will work out without you, you can be sure of that."

Caroline opened her mouth but closed it. She looked speechless.

Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through Klaus's chest and he let out a soft gasp. He stood up from the bench he and Caroline had taken a seat on. It was the strangest feeling...it felt like...he had been daggered, and yet...that was not possible. Klaus touched a hand to his chest but sure enough, everything felt normal. Apart from the uncomfortable feeling like his heart had something in it, of course. The confusion was quickly clearing, his mind working to put the pieces of the puzzle together.

"What did you do?" He growled accusingly at the younger vampire.

Caroline stepped backwards and her expression turned fearful. "What do you mean? Nothing. I—"

" _What did you do_?" Klaus snarled and his hands shot out to grip her arms tightly.

"I didn't do anything! Stop it!" Caroline looked around, but there was no one watching them.

Klaus let go of her abruptly and took a couple steps back. He swiveled his head to stare at the Grill. He remembered seeing one of the little Mystic Falls gang in there—Alaric Saltzman. And Caroline, luring him outside. It couldn't be a coincidence. Something was up.

His eyes widened and he muttered in realization, "Kol."

Shooting Caroline a dark look, Klaus sped off towards the Grill in search of his brother. He stood in the entrance, eyes wildly searching the bar for Kol, but there was no trace of him. Klaus tilted his head and listened. There was a scuffling noise, outside, in the alleyway along with faint murmurs. Klaus narrowed his eyes and looked around before moving into the darkness of the night and jumping onto the roof of the building. He leaned over the side of the building and peered down. Sure enough, Alaric came stumbling through the side entrance, holding onto Kol's body where a dagger was implanted.

"Here. Grab him." Alaric hissed.

Damon and Stefan Salvatore strolled up to the two.

"Tell the sexy doctor good work." Damon drawled.

Klaus snarled and lept off from his perch, ripping the dagger out of his brother and tossing it aside. He slammed a hand into Alaric's chest and sent him flying into the wall of the alley. Stefan flashed towards him but Klaus easily batted him out of the way and the younger Salvatore went tumbling headfirst into the steps. He turned his attention onto Damon, who looked intimidated, now that he had no back-up and was facing the Original hybrid alone.

"I should have killed you months ago." Klaus growled.

Damon's eyes were wild but his face held traces of satisfaction. "Do it. That's not gonna stop Esther from killing you."

"What did you say about my mother?" Klaus took steps towards the eldest Salvatore brother. "My mother is dead."

"You didn't know I was friends with your mummy? Yeah, we have a lot in common. She hates you as much as I do." Damon sneered mockingly. "She's been alive for a while now, plotting. Helping us bind you together."

Klaus, for all his knowledge, had no idea what the Salvatore was talking about. He hissed, " _What are you talking about?_ "

"Tell me, do you know where your wife is?" Damon inquired, his expression confident now that he seemed to think he had the upper hand. "You don't, do you? Finn's got her now, and it's only a matter of time before she _dies_. She's not at home like you might think, waiting for you like a _loyal_ little bitch."

Klaus lost it at that, and flashed towards the insolent vampire who _dared_ —

"Leave him!"

Klaus turned furiously to see his older brother standing at the top of the steps. Veins were disappearing from Elijah's face and his face was also losing the last of its grey complexion, returning to a healthy and normal color. Clearly the dagger in Kol's heart had somehow affected Elijah as well.

"We still need him, Niklaus." Elijah told him.

Klaus stepped towards his brother, voice low. "What is he saying, Elijah? What does he mean, Mother's _alive?_ And Rea? _Where is she?_ "

Elijah only stared down at him, breathing hard. Klaus felt dread creeping through his veins and tilted his head dangerously.

" _Where is she,_ Elijah?"

Elijah reached into his coat pocket and pulled out his cell phone as he made his way down the steps toward the Salvatore still standing. He ignored his brother's last question and instead directed his next words at the older Salvatore brother. "You tell me where the witches and Audrea are, or I'll have my sister kill Elena right now.

Damon narrowed his eyes. "You told me we had until after 9:00."

Elijah raised an eyebrow and replied, "I'm sure Rebekah would be more than happy to start her work early."

Damon's lips twisted into a grimace, but he flashed forward and yanked his brother up, who also took ahold of Alaric. Damon said simply, "They're by the old witches manor."

In the blink of an eye, the three were gone.

Klaus's hands curled into fists. He was ready to storm off in the direction of the witches manor, but the warning in his brother's eyes stopped him from doing so. "Elijah."

His brother nodded and bent down to pick Kol up, who was beginning to return to normal as well, though it would take longer, for he had been directly stabbed.

"Our mother is alive. It seems that the Bennett witches released her. Ayana had preserved her body and so her bloodline was able to open the coffin our mother had been resting in. She draws her power from the Bennett bloodline. Niklaus, she is planning to kill us all. Finn...the reason our brother has been gone for such long periods of time is our mother. During the ball, he spiked the champagne with Elena's blood, and somehow, using his, our mother was able to link us all together. What happens to one of us happens to the others. Finn has been helping our mother with the spell, and plans to sacrifice himself so we will die."

Klaus gritted his teeth. "How did you find out about all this?"

Elijah sighed. "Rebekah had an... _encounter_ with Damon Salvatore last night. The two were _quite_ drunk, I gather. But she is intelligent, and she noticed Finn's lingering scent in the Salvatore home, along with an unfamiliar one. She brought me the remnants of sage, which as you will recall, our mother is particularly fond of. I had my suspicions and followed Elena the next day and overheard her conversation with her friends, and how she had her reservations about me dying apparently, which confused me, so I tracked her down again soon after. She admitted to me after some persuasion that our mother had come to her and the Salvatores for assistance in killing us. I...took her as insurance that the Salvatores would follow my directions. Rebekah is watching over her as we speak."

"And Rea?" Klaus was trembling with fury.

Elijah swallowed, clearly not liking having to break the news to Klaus. "Finn's taken her. Our mother planned to kill her after we were dead, presumably because it would be easier. She's not linked to us, since she's not blood."

"If she is harmed, I will tear this town _apart_." Klaus snarled, his hybrid face nearly coming forward in his anger. "I will not stop until all who dare conspire against me are _destroyed_."

Elijah placed a hand on Klaus's arm. "We will get her back, brother. And we will stop our mother."

At that moment, there was a groan and Kol shot out of Elijah grasp, staggering like a drunk, which he probably was, considering the inhuman amount of alcohol he had consumed.

" _Bloody_ hell! What the _fuck?_ Where's that dick? I'm going to _murder_ him! And that bitch!"

 **※**

 **Outside the Old Ancestral Witches Manor**

Audrea shuddered, scowling darkly at her mother-in-law, who stood by Finn and the two Bennett witches. Her head was ringing and her body was aching. Looking back, she probably shouldn't have tried to attack her mother-in-law once she'd heard the damn woman's plan, but hearing Klaus and her siblings-in-law—the ones she actually liked—threatened hadn't sat well with her. Finn had tackled her to the ground, and though Audrea was stronger than him, the power of three witches' aneurysm spells made it quite impossible to do anything but fall to the ground in pain. She _also_ probably shouldn't have repeatedly tried to rip Finn, the traitorous bastard, to shreds, and the pounding headache, broken legs, and wounds she was now sporting were a testament to that. She'd tried to take advantage of Finn's temporary incapacitation to escape, but then she had blacked out from the force of another wave of aneurysm spells that were even stronger, given that the Bennetts were backed up by the spirits of their ancestors. And now, she was trapped, off to the side, with a stupid confinement spell. _Gods_ , she hated witches. They were pests, almost as loathsome as werewolves, and that was saying something.

Audrea still couldn't believe Esther had even entertained the thought that she might join the fucking plan. She'd rather burn in the sun. A mother, willing to murder all her children? The mere idea of it stunned her. She had never been able to produce a child herself, and would never be able to, so she knew nothing of a mother's love except the love her own mother had shown her. Her mother had been the sweetest woman, loving, and accepting. Audrea couldn't fathom how cruel a woman would have to be to intentionally kill the children she brought into this world. And _Klaus,_ oh, sweet, insecure Klaus. He had been right. Audrea had lost her temper with him when she found out he'd murdered Esther, for she _had_ loved her mother-in-law. He'd tried to reason with her but she wouldn't hear it. It had taken years for her to forgive his offense, and now here she was, about to be witness to Esther's unforgivable crimes. It was Klaus's worst nightmare come true.

A movement at the edge of the clearing tore Audrea from her thoughts. She sucked in a breath when she saw Klaus stepping up towards them, followed closely by Kol and Elijah. His gaze was on hers, and her lip trembled when she saw the concern in his expression, though she knew he was trying to hide it so his mother and Finn wouldn't see his vulnerability. His dark look, however, combined with a dangerous expression that was directed toward his mother and eldest brother, sent a tingling feeling rushing through her. Her husband always did look _so fucking good_ when he was angry, though Audrea thought to herself that this was probably an inappropriate time to notice such things, considering the fact that her mother-in-law was trying to murder them all.

If Esther was surprised to see the three of them, she didn't show it.

"My sons. Come forward."

Finn threw out an arm and warned his mother, "Stay beside me."

Esther stepped nonchalantly into the circle she had created. "It's ok. They can't enter."

"That's lovely." Kol mocked, "We're stuck out here while the favorite son plays sacrificial lamb. How pathetic you are, Finn."

"Be quiet Kol," Esther said. "Your brother knows virtue you cannot even imagine."

Elijah directed his words at his mother, "Whatever you think of us, killing your own children would be an atrocity."

"My only regret is that I did not let you die a thousand years ago."

"Enough!" Klaus drawled, though his eyes remained on Audrea. "All this talk is boring me. End this now, Mother, or I'll send you back to hell."

Esther shook her head regretfully. "For a thousand years, I've been forced to watch you, felt the pain of every victim, suffered while you shed blood."

Klaus raised his chin and turned his gaze on his mother.

"Even you, Elijah, with your claim to nobility. You're no better. You as well, Audrea." Esther turned to look down at Audrea, who could feel her legs complete their healing. "You are my son's _wife._ And yet, centuries of bloodshed later and you've done nothing to stop it. This is not what I expected when I allowed Niklaus to marry you. All your talk of your _love_ for my son..."

Audrea lifted her chin proudly, but her mother-in-law's words stung. She had loved Klaus for _centuries_ , and would continue to do so until the end of time. To hear her love for Klaus dismissed so easily, by his own mother...but she wouldn't cry, she was _stronger_ than this.

"Don't speak to her like that." Klaus growled, and something swelled up inside of Audrea when she heard his defense of her. "You know _nothing_ of what she's done for me."

"I know what _you've_ done for her. I know she's been corrupted by you." Esther retorted. "I know that she was a good woman, before the deaths of her family. I know you allowed her descent into darkness! The two of you are not good for each other, and I regret the day you two met."

Klaus stepped forward, clearly enraged, but was quickly repelled by the boundary spell.

Esther continued, her eyes glimmering with unshed tears, "All of you...you're a curse on this earth, stretched out over generations. If you've come to plead for your life...I'm sorry. You've wasted your time."

Suddenly, it was as if a strong, invisible force swept against Esther and she stumbled.

"No!" Esther cried out. "Sisters, do not abandon me!"

Something had gone wrong with her plan again, it seemed. If Audrea had to hazard a guess, the unfazed expression on Elijah's face told her that he probably had everything handled. The witch looked around desperately.

The flames on the five torches roared upwards violently and Audrea flinched at the brightness and looked away. She heard Finn cry out, "Mother!" and saw Klaus, Kol, and Elijah look away as well. She could feel the heat of the flames licking against her skin and drew back as far as she could. The wind howled violently, whipping through the trees and stirring up the dead leaves.

Then all was silent.

Audrea lifted her head and blinked at the space where Esther and Finn had stood, the fires having been extinguished. She tentatively reached an arm out past the boundary that had been drawn around her and felt relief when nothing stopped her hand.

There was a moment of confusion and stillness before she felt a faint flutter of wind against her cheek and two strong arms sweeping her up. She let out a strangled sound and flung her arms around Klaus's neck, exhaustion quickly replacing anything else she was feeling as the realization hit her. They had almost _died_.

"I've got you, love. You're alright now."

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you for reading!**

 **So I know this chapter sped through things but I'm trying to get some canon stuff out of the way before the plot's gonna diverge. This whole chapter was kinda hard to write lmfao especially the ending, since it _was_ pretty abrupt and I left out the parts from the Salvatores' and Bennets' POV, but I hope you enjoyed it!**

 **Also, I know Klaus and Rea's relationship may seem a little confusing but I just haven't had the chance to include their backstories yet! You'll see some of it next chapter. Obviously, they're going to have changed over a thousand years, so their human lives and personalities are going to be pretty different from the way they are now. Klaus really loves Rea, a _lot_ , and from the show, it seems he hasn't ever experienced such a powerful thing so the way he acts around Rea is definitely going to be different from the way he's acted around anyone else.**

 **Again, thanks for reading and see you next chapter! Please leave a review if you enjoyed this chapter or have any feedback!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but my OCs. All rights go to their respective owners. Rating will probably change in the future.**

 **A/N: I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

 **Mystic Falls — 996 AD**

 _The nighttime air was cool as it brushed against Niklaus's skin, raising goosebumps. Gazing blankly ahead of him, his breaths came out in short gasps, nothing but darkness and faint outlines of bushes and trees greeting him. The only sounds that he could hear came from the gentle winds and the brook that flowed near the edge of the clearing. Mikael had lost his temper for the thousandth time earlier, using anything he could lay his hands on to beat Niklaus into submission. He was beginning to lose track of the reasons for which Mikael would beat him. It seemed there were none anymore, just the inordinate amount of hatred that Mikael seemed to harbor for him. The pain that seared through his ribs from where Mikael had connected his foot again and again with Niklaus's body was aching unbearably._

 _He had low hopes that she would show up; he hadn't been able to meet up with her in weeks, but any sliver of hope was better than none. He wrapped an arm around his side, leaning back against the hard wood of the tree that offered little comfort. A groan escaped his lips as he shifted, attempting to find a more comfortable position. No doubt he would face more punishment the next morning from having run, but he could not have stayed a moment longer._

 _"Niklaus?"_

 _He almost missed the soft whisper, so delirious he was from the pain. He swiveled his head and squinted, seeing a blurry outline emerge from the trees opposite to where he was. Niklaus blinked, attempting to rid his eyes from the haze that was settling over him, but no matter. He would know that voice anywhere, the one word soothing him more than she would know._

 _He saw Audrea bring her hands to her face, covering her mouth in shock as she saw the state of his body more clearly as she approached._

 _"Who did this to you?" There was concern and anger coloring her voice._

 _It was a rhetorical question. She knew, from their past conversations in the same spot, that he was the object of Mikael's ire, and that this was from which the rumors of the man's cruelty had first risen to spread throughout the village._

 _She knelt next to him and gathered him into her arms and he finally began to relax, feeling secure for the first time in weeks._

 _"What are you doing here?" he mumbled, leaning into her touch. "It's late."_

 _Audrea didn't answer him, instead brushing strands of his hair aside, a few tears escaping her eyes to roll down her cheeks. He knew this was the worst state she had ever seen him in. He had only come to her with the occasional bruises before and even then, she had been highly worried. Now, she seemed to be speechless, searching for something to say. Her hand continued to comb gently through his hair, and he closed his eyes, leaning forward to brush his nose against her neck, inhaling her sweet scent, despite the discomfort the movement caused._

 _"I'm taking you home with me—no, listen—" She decided, her fingers dusting over his jaw to quell his objections. "My mother and brothers aren't heartless. We'll fix you up, you needn't worry. And...and if it comes to it, I'll make my brothers confront Mikael. We'll find a way. I promise."_

 _Niklaus struggled to sit up then, eyebrows knitting together in protest as he opened his mouth, but he was silenced when she leaned down to softly press her lips against his. He could taste the saltiness of her lingering tears on her lips._

 _"We'll find a way." She repeated, her eyes searching his, arms tightening around him. "Come on."_

 _Audrea stood unsteadily, attempting to support Niklaus's weight as she helped him up. He leaned heavily on her, favoring his right side, as his left was throbbing miserably with a sharp pain. The way her soft curves pressed against his body comforted him and he selfishly tilted his head down to touch his nose to her black hair. She looked up at him, the corners of her lips turned down in a sad frown, but she didn't say a word, and he silently thanked her for that. If she had said anything, he just might have let go of the fragile hold he had on his emotions and broken down completely._

 _The trek to the Magnuson house was a short one, fortunately, for Niklaus wasn't a small man and he wasn't sure how much longer Audrea could support most of his weight. He could see lights flickering from inside the house and noted that the house was significantly larger than his. The size of one's house in the village was a testament to one's wealth, and despite the Magnuson patriarch's mysterious death a couple years back, that had hardly impacted the Magnusons' status, partly due to the fact that most of Audrea's brothers had been grown men and could protect and provide for the family._

 _"What in the—" Two figures Niklaus recognized to be Audrea's brothers sitting near a small fire shot up. "Rea? What've you got there now?"_

 _"Please." Audrea's voice was gentle but firm as she spoke to her siblings. "I'll explain everything later...just help him. I'm not sure of the extent of his injuries."_

 _Niklaus saw the taller of the two men narrow his eyes and mutter, "Is that one of the Mikaelsons? What are you doing with him?"_

 _"Nathaniel." Audrea uttered sharply, her posture straightening slightly. "I said, help him."_

 _The shorter man darted forward. "Nathaniel, stop being stupid and come here. Can't you see he's not well?"_

 _Nathaniel rolled his eyes but strode forward, roughly taking Niklaus's other arm and putting it over his shoulder. "So I'm the stupid one now? Gods, Erik, it's like you don't hear yourself sometimes. Who's the one who fixed your bow three days ago? And who fixed your stupid necklace—my gods, I can't believe I just said that—last week? That's right...me."_

 _"That's got nothing to do with anything!"_

 _"Focus and_ _ **do**_ _be gentle!" Audrea chided, fluttering anxiously around them as her brothers dragged him into the house._

 _"Nathaniel! Erik! What have you done now?" A short woman pushed aside the chair she had been sitting in seconds ago to make her way towards the four who had burst through the doorway. "Who's this?"_

 _"Why d'you always think we did something?" Nathaniel complained, pulling out a chair from the large table sitting in the center of the room and dumping Niklaus unceremoniously into it, despite Audrea's furious exclamation that followed. "No, this is Rea's problem this time."_

 _"His father beat him." Audrea pursed her lips, pushing her two brothers aside and sitting next to lover, lifting her hands to cradle his bruised face gently, turning it left and right slowly to examine._

 _"Mikael?" hissed the woman, "I knew those rumors must have had some merit to them. Simply outrageous! Never mind that now. We'll talk about this later. Erik, fetch my medicinal supplies. And some food, while you're at it. Poor boy looks half-dead."_

 _Two identical men burst in from the adjacent room, simultaneously exclaiming, "We thought we heard something. Where's the fire?"_

 _"No fire, idiots." Nathan strode over and hit them both on the backs of their heads, drawing an 'ouch!' from each twin. "Go make yourselves useful. The man's injured."_

 _"Is that Niklaus Mikaelson?" One of them asked excitedly, "Scandalous! What's our little sister been up to?"_

 _"None of your business." Audrea snapped, eyes flaring. They softened when they turned back on Niklaus, who found his head was starting to spin, probably from the sheer number of people in the room. "Get out. You're confusing him."_

 _"Here, now." The woman, who Niklaus presumed to be the Magnuson matriarch, pulled up another chair and settled in it comfortably, handing a couple bandages and what seemed to be a jar of white paste over to Audrea. "Take off his tunic, Rea. Let's see what we have here."_

 _Niklaus tried to refrain from smirking when Audrea's cheeks tinted red, but the glare she shot him told him he hadn't fully succeeded. She set down the materials on the table and curled her fingers into the rough fabric of his tunic, tugging upwards. He lifted his arms, surprised to only feel a dull ache in his arms from the movement. His torso, on the other hand, screamed in protest when it stretched. It must have taken the brunt of Mikael's beating. Audrea set the shirt aside—it would have to be cleaned, bloodstains dotting it here and there—and her attention was drawn back to Niklaus when her mother gasped sharply._

 _"By the gods..." Audrea's mother murmured, her eyes roaming over his chest and abdomen. Whistles and curses escaped from the Magnuson brothers._

 _Niklaus glanced down. Large, discolored bruises had already spread over his skin, the darkest one being the largest. His eyes rose to look at Audrea, whose face was expressionless, though he could see the tension in her._

 _Audrea clenched her jaw tightly but she said nothing, instead taking a wet towel that Erik handed her and squeezing water over Niklaus's torso. He let out a deep breath as the cool water ran over him, and tried not to flinch when she gently began wiping his arms and body of the grime and dust that mingled with his blood and sweat. She and her mother worked with practiced motions, each exchanging materials and medicine wordlessly. It wasn't long before the worst of his injuries were washed and wrapped with soft, clean bandages. Niklaus remained cognizant enough to see and hear Audrea's brothers move into the next room and begin murmuring to each other, no doubt about Mikael, given the number of times his name popped up in the conversation._

 _Audrea's mother soon rose to take a bucket of dirty water outside, and this left him alone with Audrea. There was a short silence before Audrea spoke._

 _"You see?" She smiled, her hand rising to gently comb through Niklaus's hair once more, and he found himself becoming quite addicted to the sensation. "Nothing to worry about."_

 _He leaned closer, his heartbeat quickening when he noticed she didn't seem to want to move away. It was a dangerous move, he knew, to get so close to her in her home, with her brothers mere feet from them in the other room, but he felt her breath ghosting over his skin and couldn't hold himself back when he connected their lips, one hand coming up to bury itself in her hair. Her **taste**_ , _her **smell** , the small moan that escaped her throat...she drove him crazy. E_ _very time he kissed her, it was like he was doing so for the first time._

 _"Oh!"_

 _The soft gasp from the doorway caused him to break away, alarmed. Audrea's mother stood there, eyes twinkling as she surveyed the scene, but she said nothing, which surprised Niklaus. Surely, her mother wouldn't want her daughter consorting with the likes of him? She wouldn't complain to his father, would she? That was a surefire way to get him murdered. He swallowed. He had nothing to offer Audrea, no pretty clothes or riches, and yet...Audrea's mother simply winked._

 _"Careful you don't let the boys see that," the woman whispered cheerfully, "They'll tear you apart."_

 _"No they won't, Mother." Audrea scoffed, her hand lowering from its place in his hair to hold on to Niklaus's other hand in his lap. "I won't let them."_

 _"No, you won't." The Magnuson matriarch let out an honest-to-gods_ giggle, _her excited whisper softening so as not to alert Audrea's brothers_. _"He's a pretty one, Rea, you've chosen well."_

 **※**

 **Mikaelson Mansion**

Audrea woke to the sensation of fingers gently brushing patterns on her skin. She opened her eyes and found herself drowning in Klaus's blue-green ones. _Oh._

After a thousand years, he still never failed to take her breath away. His tousled hair made him look simply adorable in the morning light and she couldn't help but smile up at him.

"Sleep well, love?" He must have woken up a while before her, because though he wasn't wearing a shirt, he had on a pair of jeans that fit him _very_ nicely.

Audrea hummed and leaned into his touch. She splayed her hand on his chest and began tracing his tattoo, walking her fingers over to his left shoulder, where the small birds separated from the feather.

"How's Elijah?" She asked tentatively, her eyes flicking up and searching his.

Klaus nodded. "He's still here, so I should think your words got through to him."

Audrea sighed in relief, mind flashing back to yesterday evening, when Elijah had expressed his desire to leave.

 **※**

 **Yesterday Evening**

 _"My mother was right." Elijah said. He looked troubled, and was pacing back and forth slowly in his room. Klaus and Rebekah had urged Audrea to say something to him, for he seemed hellbent on ditching them to go gallivanting somewhere else. "All my talk of virtue...and yet, I took what I wanted, used Elena for blackmail, and I used my sister's hatred to my advantage. I used **Rebekah**. My own sister."_

 _Audrea stepped forward and took one of his hands in hers. "Elijah, what you did was_ right _. It was to protect yourself, Nik, Bekah, and Kol. Every one of them would have done the same, if they had been in your position."_

 _Elijah gave her a look. "My methods_ —"

 _"Were necessary. To hell with whatever your mother said," Audrea insisted. "Listen, do you think Nik would have left anyone alive if he had been in charge?"_

 _"Niklaus is not a good comparison of morals." Elijah replied, giving Audrea a chastising look._

 _"Ok, I'll give that to you, but Elijah, **listen** to me...your plan was failsafe. It did the _least _damage. Do you really think there was another way?"_

 _Elijah only stood there silently, one hand in his pocket as he gazed into the flames flickering in the fireplace._

 _"Think about it, okay?"_

 _Audrea wrapped her arms around him and he returned the hug, closing his eyes. She drew back and looked him in the eye. "I can't stop you if you want to leave. But know that you always have my love. And Rebekah's. Kol and Nik's as well, despite all their whining and moaning about you."_

 _Elijah chuckled._

 _"_ _We are family, Elijah. And there is nothing more important than that. I know this. I know this more than_ anybody."

 **※**

"Rea."

Audrea lifted her head and looked at Klaus questioningly.

"What my mother said yesterday...she was trying to hurt you. Don't take her words to heart." Klaus said smoothly. "You have done more for me than she will ever know. I, for one, don't regret the day we met at all."

Audrea was touched as she gazed up at Klaus. She knew Klaus didn't express his emotions well to others, the hybrid preferring instead to hide any signs of vulnerability. It wasn't without reason. Klaus's choice to do so had been a product of what he had suffered through during his human days. He never again wanted to be seen as _weak_. He never again wanted to feel _helpless_. She understood that the most.

So even after _centuries_ of existence, she was glad he continued to trust her with himself.

She sat up and snickered, "Of course you don't, you were too busy ogling my breasts."

Klaus raised a challenging eyebrow.

"I recall _you_ were the one who had been watching _me_? You knew my name."

"I knew everyone's name." Audrea shifted away from him turned her nose up and away primly. "You weren't special."

"Really?" Klaus tilted his head skeptically. " _Everyone's_?"

"I knew Elijah's name. I knew _Kol's._ " Audrea teased, and giggled when she heard a soft snarl. Mentioning his brothers' names while the couple were in bed probably wasn't high up on Klaus's list of things to do. It wasn't anywhere _near_ the list, she would imagine. "So, yes, not special at all."

She yelped when two arms slipped around her and a hard chest pressed up against her back. She resisted the urge to shiver when she felt his breath next to her ear. "On the contrary, love, I think I'm _very_ special. I'm the Original hybrid, after all."

"O...oh?" Audrea gasped, as Klaus's hands began to explore her skin, dipping under her shirt and travelling across her bare legs. The heat that rushed through her with every touch reminded her of all the times they had explored each other's bodies before. Intense memories danced around in her thoughts and they caused the heat to move down to between her thighs.

Her eyes fluttered closed and she leaned her head back on his shoulder, giving him more access to her neck. Klaus pressed butterfly kisses across it and she felt him smirk against her skin. "Yes. _Special_."

In one smooth movement, he flipped her over so she was on her back, looking up at him. He trapped her arms on either side of her head and grinned down at her triumphantly.

"I'm quite liking this habit of you wearing my shirts." Klaus dipped his head down and began kissing his way down her throat, to her collarbone, between her breasts, and began unbuttoning the shirt with his _teeth_. Audrea thought she'd died right there and then. But then again, he might just have been ripping the buttons out if she was to hazard a guess of where the tearing sounds were coming from, not that she could have checked, for he was being _far_ too distracting with his mouth. "It makes you far more...accessible."

His words went straight to her groin.

Her back arched and she gasped, squeezing her thighs against his sides to get _some_ sort of relief.

She struggled free of Klaus's grasp and her hands immediately flew to grip his hair, pulling him up violently to collide her lips with his. His tongue traced against her bottom lip and she easily allowed him in. It was a heated battle, her tongue fighting for dominance but soon losing as Klaus growled against her and surged upwards, his hips jolting against hers. Audrea threw her head back then, crying out in need when she felt his hard length pressing aainst her.

She flung a leg over his waist, digging her heel into his lower back to coerce him closer than he was already. His fingertips were scorching her skin as they roamed underneath her shirt, travelling across her hips and dipping into the lace underwear she wore. She reached down to unzip his jeans, slipping a hand into them to grip him.

"Nik!"

Rebekah burst into the room and Klaus's eyes filled with disbelief at his sister's audacity. They soon closed as he groaned, forehead dropping to meet Audrea's.

He whipped his head around to snap, "Bloody hell, Rebekah, I'm in the middle of something!"

"I can see that, but this is important. Good morning Rea, you're looking especially radiant under my brother today," Rebekah pointed at Klaus and continued, "Get off Rea, you depraved dog, and get dressed."

"I _would_ like to _get her off_ , but I can't very well do that with you hovering there, can I?"

Rebekah scowled. "Don't be such a degenerate, Nik, you knew what I bloody well meant."

A dark look filled Klaus's eyes and he growled in exasperation.

Audrea giggled at his disappointment—not that she felt any differently—but pulled her hand away from him and poked her head out from where she was being shielded by Klaus's body so she could see Rebekah more clearly. "Morning, Bekah."

"What's the fuss?" Kol sauntered into the room, followed closely by Elijah. At the sight of Klaus's brothers, Audrea quickly pulled what was left of Klaus's shirt—she'd been right, he _had_ just been ripping it open—together. "Why've you gathered us here, Rebekah? Christ, put on some clothes Nik, nobody wants to see you looking like a fucking prostitute."

Audrea's mouth dropped open and she let out a stunned laugh. Truly, Kol could be _quite_ the character.

Klaus's lip curled in distaste but he zipped his jeans up and slipped on a T-shirt anyway, getting out bed and hunting around for another shirt of his to give Audrea. She took the one he handed her but didn't move to get out of bed, instead choosing drag the sheets over her so she was mostly covered, and pulled up her knees so she could prop her chin on them.

Elijah shook his head in disapproval at Kol's crass words and turned to Rebekah. "Rebekah, why _have_ you called us here?"

Rebekah stretched out her arm and wiggled something in front of her. She looked serious.

Audrea squinted at the phone her sister-in-law was holding out. "The doppelgänger bitch? What about her?"

"Not _her_." Rebekah stabbed a finger at the screen. "Look _behind_ her. On the wall."

Audrea took the phone and stared at it, eyes narrowed. Klaus sat down beside her to look at it as well. "What is it?"

Rebekah replied, "A native worshipping at the great white oak tree."

Kol and Elijah's heads snapped towards Rebekah's direction. Elijah said slowly, as if his sister had forgotten, "We burnt the tree to the ground."

"Look at the markings that precede it. The native calendar."

Audrea's face paled as she slowly realized what Rebekah was getting at. She flicked the pads of her index finger and thumb at the screen, enlarging the screenshot of Rebekah's video. "The date...that's not possible."

"Three hundred years after we fled back to the old world. There must have been a sapling, a new tree to replace the old."

Rebekah shifted so she could look at each of her siblings. "There's white oak out there. And it could kill us."

The room was dead silent. Only Kol was moving, his head tilting backwards as he threw his hands up.

"Can't we go _one_ bloody day without potentially dying?"

 **※**

 **One Week Later**

"Bekah!" Audrea flung the door to the the normally unused room open, grumbling in annoyance at how long it had taken her to track Rebekah down. "Nik tells me you're here."

Her sister-in-law looked up briefly from where she was working to wave a hand at her. "Right here."

"Good. I'm bored. Nik and Elijah are handling that upstart witch and I've no desire to be around that silly little bint again, not after the mess she helped put me in."

Rebekah let out a laugh. "She'll get what's coming to her. Nik will make sure of that, I'm certain."

"What's this mess then?" Audrea asked pleasantly, waving to the body of one Damon Salvatore that was currently strung up and bleeding all over the polished floor.

Rebekah pursed her lips. "Just a bit of retribution. He took me to bed and didn't even stay the morning after."

"I do keep telling you to choose better men, Rebekah." Audrea gave Rebekah a chastising look. "You keep bringing home trash."

"Not everyone can have what you and Nik have," Rebekah scowled. "Besides, your husband always seems to take pleasure in offing all my lovers."

Audrea picked at her fingernails. "He always becomes my _husband_ when you're angry with him."

"And he always becomes my _brother_ when _you're_ cross with him." Rebekah shot back, waving the machete she was currently wielding at Audrea. "What's your point?"

The brunette Mikaelson rolled her eyes but asked, "What'd he really do?"

Rebekah stuck the blade into Damon's abdomen casually and folded her arms. "He helped Finn's trashy whore, you remember Sage, get into my mind while I was sleeping. I don't know what they were looking for, though. I don't believe they just took a little stroll in my mind for the fun of it."

"Sage is back in town?" Audrea smiled. "Delightful. I've always enjoyed a bit of boxing. Perhaps I could brush up on my skills with her."

Rebekah groaned. "You still like her?"

"I've no reason not to." Audrea shrugged.

"Rea, she's...she's basically a _harlot_!" Rebekah griped. "She came looking for _Finn_."

"Well of course." Audrea sighed. "I don't like Finn, not after what he did to me—the amount of blood I had to get out of my hair was hell, mind you—but I can see she loves him and he loves her. She's just looking for her lost love. Let her! Maybe Finn'll come to his senses and not want to die constantly. Gods, he's like a bloody rebellious teenager. But anyways, back to this disgusting mess that's ruining Nik's floors."

Audrea felt a wave of resentment roll through her. She didn't like _anyone_ messing with Rebekah. She had suffered enough as it is, from Klaus, and Audrea had always felt guilty that she couldn't do more to protect the younger vampire. Raging at Klaus every time he daggered Rebekah was the farthest she'd ever gone. Because, in the end, she knew that Klaus loved his family, more than anything. Sure, he played the protective big brother card a little too intensely, but Audrea knew that all the lovers Klaus got rid of...they weren't good for Rebekah. She'd seen each and every one of them, watched them. None of them were good enough.

And especially not this piece of garbage that had dared violate Rebekah's mind.

Audrea pursed her lips as she watched the blood drip steadily onto the puddle surrounding Damon's feet. She furrowed her eyebrows. For him to antagonize Rebekah, however vulnerable she may be at times, didn't seem right. Rebekah was right. He wouldn't do that just for the hell of it, not when he knew Rebekah could so easily attack the doppelgänger bitch for revenge. He had been _looking_ for something. And he must have been desperate, to enlist Sage's help and use this particular method of obtaining information.

She thought to herself for just a brief moment longer before rolling up the sleeves of her blouse. "Give me the machete."

Rebekah's eyes widened. "Are you...?"

"I may not be as...unprincipled as my dear husband, but I've been around him long enough to pick up some tricks."

Rebekah's smile was positively wicked as she pulled the weapon out and handed it to Audrea. But before the handle could touch Audrea's hand, Rebekah pulled back and pouted, "Don't kill him, Rea. He's still my toy, after all."

"Oh...I'm sure there'll be bits of him left over."

The blonde Mikaelson shook her head in exasperation but gave the machete to Audrea. As soon as she gripped the handle, she lashed out with the blade in a severe, slicing motion. The Salvatore barely made a noise as blood gushed out of his body. The pain had yet to set in, given the speed with which she had cut him open with. She wrapped her fingers around Damon's neck and forced his chin up.

"Open your eyes, love." Audrea murmured. "I've got a _question_ for you."

 **※**

A scream echoed across the entire house, and Bonnie flinched, her hand gripping the edge of the table in front of her for an anchor.

Klaus closed his eyes. He clearly looked annoyed. "Bloody hell, Elijah, could she be any more dramatic?"

Elijah was leaning against the entrance to the living room, looking quite displeased at the sounds that they were currently hearing as well, though his dissatisfaction probably stemmed from other reasons than just the volume. Like perhaps what was _causing_ them.

"What was that?" Bonnie glowered at Klaus.

"I ask the questions here, Miss Bennett." Klaus's lips twitched in amusement. "Now. About this little dilemma I seem to have. You see, I don't quite fancy being linked to my siblings. They're rather annoying, I admit, but they're family and I would prefer if they didn't all die on me. As a side note, I'd rather not die, either. So. The fact that I'm not hearing chanting and seeing witchy things happening is vexing, Bonnie. I am not a patient man."

"I'm still studying the spell." Bonnie snapped. "And the screaming isn't helping my concentration that much, you know? It bothers me."

"It shouldn't."

"It does!" Bonnie whirled around to face Klaus. " _You_ bother me! The way you _use_ people to get what you want! It's not _right_."

Klaus touched a hand to his chest, looking as if he was mildly offended, but the faux expression soon faded away and he moved so he was standing right in front of her. "You're being emotional, Bonnie. I get it, your mother has left you, once again, but let's focus on the present, shall we? I wouldn't want Jeremy to have a little...accident. I'm sure Kol's just _dying_ to cause a little trouble."

He lifted his phone up as if to remind Bonnie of the danger Elena's brother was in.

"Niklaus." Elijah's voice was stern and he gave his brother a pointed look. "That's enough. I'm sure Miss Bennett will comply, without all this...unnecessary talk."

Klaus rolled his eyes but turned to look at Elijah. "Fine. Take care of Rebekah, would you? She can bleed Damon out some other time. This can't wait."

Bonnie froze. "Damon?"

"Why, yes." Klaus smirked and lightly traced his fingers across the back of the couch she had been sitting on a couple hours ago. "You see...my sister's rather upset with him, so I hope you understand. He hurt her feelings. A woman scorned, and all that. Besides...he's the man who effectively killed your mother, isn't he? I see no problem in his presence here. In fact, I should expect that perhaps this would make you happier. Bit of righteous retribution for your mother."

Bonnie was far from happy. She despised Damon for turning her mother to save Elena, and it was something she would probably never be able to forgive, but she loved Elena with all her heart, even despite all the recent events that had occurred. What the Salvatore was doing here couldn't mean anything well for her friends. She wondered if Stefan was aware of the predicament Damon was in.

The pained screams suddenly cut off, and the silence that filled the huge mansion was suffocating.

Klaus raised an eyebrow at her. "Well? You got what you wanted. Get on with it, love."

Bonnie swallowed, turning her hateful gaze on Klaus back onto the spell in front of her. The candles flickered, but cast a glow over the table. It provided little comfort for her. Klaus's presence terrified her, though she was trying her best to keep her composure. She wasn't succeeding very well. With each second that passed, Bonnie could feel the turmoil her emotions were in even more.

She braced her hands on the table and looked down at the labelled vials of blood laid out in front of her. _Elijah. Rebekah. Kol. Finn._ And in a goblet sitting in the center of the table, was Klaus's.

Before she could even begin, however, a gigantic crash made her head snap up in the direction of the commotion.

"Tick _tock_ , Miss Bennett!" The female voice was mocking and cruel. Bonnie was stunned to see Audrea Mikaelson saunter into the room, tossing a frighteningly large piece of warped metal onto the ground. It looked...to be something like a medieval _torture_ device. Blood splattered the floor. What was even more terrifying though, was the Original's arms. Dark red blood coated both her arms, leaving not an inch of them untouched. Audrea looked severely pissed off, an expression Bonnie had not seen even when the vampire had been fighting Finn.

"Now this is a surprise." Klaus raised his eyebrows, stepping towards his wife and lifting his hands to hover around her shoulders. He looked her up and down. "You don't usually like to get yourself dirty, sweetheart. I could have done whatever you did to poor Damon if you had asked."

Audrea's gaze never left Bonnie's, who took a step back in trepidation. "Yes, I know, Nik, but you see, this couldn't wait. Were you _aware_ , Miss Bennett, that your friends have taken it upon themselves to make _twelve_ white oak stakes? All, I assume, meant for my family and me."

Bonnie barely heard the enraged _'what?'_ that ripped from Klaus's throat. She was in shock.

Were Stefan and Damon _crazy_?

What had they been thinking, endangering the lives of everyone around them?

It was enough that her mother had suffered the consequences how much danger Bonnie's friendship with Elena meant. Bonnie was beginning to think that there was nothing the two Salvatores wouldn't do to protect Elena. They must have a death wish, to be coming after the entire Original family so blatantly. And now that they had uncovered the brothers' plan, there would be hell to pay.

"I..I didn't know. I swear."

The woman suddenly relaxed and the absence of the tension that had been coiled up in her body made her look far less dangerous, though Bonnie knew that to be far from the truth. Her lips curled up and she began walking towards Bonnie. When she stopped in front of her, the Original tipped Bonnie's chin up and narrowed her eyes at her.

"I believe you." Audrea twirled a strand of Bonnie's hair around her index finger. Bonnie swallowed, hardly daring to breathe. Audrea Mikaelson had seemed to be far less intimidating than her husband or her brothers-in-law, but right now, with the Original's arms coated with Damon's blood, she seemed far more dangerous than any of the other Mikaelsons.

"But you see, your little friends have just moved things up a bit in our plans. So you best get going on that spell, little witch."

 **※**

 **Salvatore Boarding House**

Stefan followed Elena into the large living room.

"What are we going to do about this?" Caroline stood in front of them and raised her eyebrows. "Even after all our stakeouts, we haven't caught sight of a single Mikaelson."

Elena sighed. "They're bound to leave the mansion at some point. It's not a big town. We'll see them sooner or later."

Stefan agreed and added, "We just need one Mikaelson. And use as few stakes as possible to try and kill him. Or her."

"You make it sound so easy." Caroline scoffed.

Elena opened her mouth to say something else, but she felt a buzz in her pocket and pulled out her phone to see Bonnie's name on the caller ID. She answered it.

"Bonnie? Where have you been?" Elena frowned.

"Klaus has Damon."

Elena gasped in shock and looked up to meet Stefan's gaze. From his expression, he'd obviously heard what Bonnie had said. " _What_? Why? How do you know?"

"I heard him screaming in the Mikaelsons' house. Klaus told me Rebekah took him. You know what else? I _also_ found out that Damon and Stefan made _twelve_ white oak stakes." There was a slight pause before Bonnie hissed, "Are you all _insane_? Do you not remember what happened to my mother? And that's not the worst that could happen! Someone could die! Like, _permanently_!"

Elena's mouth was dry. She licked her lips before asking, "What...what were you doing in their house, Bonnie?"

"Klaus kidnapped me." Bonnie's voice was humorless and she was barely concealing her fury. "He forced me to do a spell that unlinked all the siblings."

Elena, Stefan, and Caroline all closed their eyes in collective dismay. This put a major dent in their plans. This meant that they now had _much_ fewer chances to use the stakes on the Mikaelsons.

"It's bad, Elena." Bonnie's voice was choked up. "He threatened _Jeremy_. And my mom..."

Elena's forehead creased in concern. She didn't sound too good. "Are you okay, Bonnie?"

"I don't know." Bonnie scoffed. She sounded like she was on the verge of tears. "I...I'm sorry. I have to go. I just...I have to go."

"Bonnie, wait..." Elena tried to stop her, but the line went dead. She pulled the phone away from her ear and stared at the screen. She looked up at Stefan. He looked concerned about Bonnie for a moment, but then the gravity of the situation set in and his expression quickly turned to anger. Elena held up a hand. She knew this Stefan all too well and she could practically see the gears turning in his head. He stalked towards the door, flipping a white oak stake in his hand and tucking it into his belt.

Elena said, "Stefan. Wait, come on. We need to create a plan."

"They have Damon, Elena." Stefan looked at her as if she was stupid. Elena flinched. "And I'm going to get him back."

"Stefan, you're acting out of anger!" She tried to grab onto his arm, but he just shrugged her hand off and flashed out of the house. "Stefan!"

Elena turned back and stared wordlessly at Caroline, hands raised as if to ask _'what the hell?'_. The blonde shrugged. "Your boyfriends all want to die really badly, apparently."

"Caroline!" Elena chastised.

"I know, I know. Sorry. It was just a joke."

"In bad taste, Caroline. In bad taste."

The blonde suddenly looked at the door, and her expression seemed puzzled, as if she was trying to figure something out. Elena asked, "What's wrong?"

Her question was answered when the double doors were flung off their hinges and Caroline barely managed to tackle Elena down as the two huge pieces of wood went flying straight over their heads. Three figures flashed into the house.

"Well, well."

Elena nearly fainted when she looked up to see the intruders. Klaus, Audrea, and Elijah stood in front of them, expressions varying from being amused to serious. Klaus's hand was gripping Stefan by the throat and the hybrid was holding him off to the side, like he was just a mere inconvenience.

"Now, I hear you have a very interesting collection of stakes." Klaus grinned, baring his teeth. "I'd like to take a look."

 **※**

 **Mikaelson Mansion**

Damon could barely see anything. There was blood dripping into his eyes, and he could barely think. He was pretty sure there was probably more blood outside his body than inside.

He groaned. What a mess he'd gotten himself into.

Insane. They were all insane. Even Klaus's wife. Especially her. Fuck. He was pretty sure he'd been traumatized. And that wasn't something that happened to him every day, if at all. The torture methods she'd subjected him to...had the fucking Original been _studying_ medieval torture methods?

He heard footsteps making their way into the room he was strung up in. From the clicking of heels, it had to be Rebekah. She'd been the only one visiting him consistently the entire day.

He was barely conscious, but he could feel and hear his wrists being freed from the metal traps they were clamped in.

"What...?"

He collapsed on the ground, legs too unsteady to hold his weight up. He was so drained that he noticed his wounds were barely healing at all.

"You're free to go, lover boy." Rebekah sighed. Her foot collided with his stomach and he fell to his side with a groan. "Your brother's saving your life by handing over the stakes. All twelve of them. Pity. Your grand plans never do seem to work out, do they?"

Damon coughed and wiped away the blood that he could feel coating his face. He struggled to sit up on his knees and looked up at the blonde Mikaelson, spitting out, "Bitch."

"Now, now." Rebekah flipped her hair over her shoulder. "That's not a very nice thing to say to someone who's letting you live. Off you go now. I'd have you wipe up this mess you've left on the floor, but I don't really want to see your pathetic face in my house any longer."

Damon staggered to his feet, feeling some sort of relief when he towered over Rebekah. Not that he could do anything to her though, he could barely move his fingers.

The blonde smirked at him and gestured to the doorway. He saw Stefan standing there, bag of stakes slung over his shoulder, staring at him. Stefan looked bruised and battered, like he'd put up a fight against someone. Klaus, Audrea, and Elijah stepped in the room with them. Klaus looked annoyingly smug, and there were bloodstains on his shirt. _Ah_. That was why.

Damon groaned internally. All their hard work in preparing those stakes...and they were just going to hand them over to the Originals.

"As you can see," Klaus said. "You're getting your brother back. Fair trade. Be a sport and hand over the bag, won't you?"

Stefan looked resigned as he slipped the strap off his shoulder and held it out. Elijah took the bag and disappeared from the room.

Klaus clapped his hands. "Well this just turned out fantastically, don't you agree? Take Damon, Stefan, and do try not to show up in front of us. Preferably ever again."

Stefan flashed over to Damon and slipped an arm around him, as he was on the verge of collapsing again. "Come on. Let's get out of here."

Stefan flashed the two of them out of the mansion, and Damon nearly sobbed, _nearly,_ when the cool night breeze touched his face.

He had never wanted to just stand in a hot shower more than he wanted to right now.

 **※**

Audrea smiled as she watched the stakes burn.

 _Finally_ , they could get some rest. Not a whole month out of her coffin and she'd been pummeled with one thing after another: a whole new century, threat of death, and threat of death again. What she wouldn't give for a whole day of undisturbed peace.

She propped her chin on Klaus's shoulder and tightened her arms around him. He was watching the fire as well, his fingers stroking her hand and lightly playing with the wedding band on her left hand.

She nipped his ear and he turned his head to look down at her, his eyes flashing playfully.

"Take me to bed, Mr. Mikaelson?"

Klaus smirked.

"But of course, Mrs. Mikaelson."

 **※**

 **Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania**

Finn looked up from the heavy tome he was holding and saw his mother make her way into the house they had taken up residence in. She set down on the large mahogany table a small bag of what seemed to be herbs.

"Did you get it?" He shut the book and stood, making his way over to where his mother stood.

Esther shrugged off her jacket and hung it up on the coat rack, distractedly nodding as she eyed the set-up on the table. She placed a finger on the crinkled parchment that lay in the center of all the materials and traced over several of the words, words that Finn recognized to be the more crucial aspects of the spell.

"Apparently, Niklaus has found a way to unlink us, which is unfortunate."

His mother didn't take her eyes off the spell as she waved a hand nonchalantly in his direction. "No matter. I had expected him to, as soon as we left."

Finn placed a hand on his mother's shoulder. "Mother."

Esther snapped out of her small trance and scrutinized her eldest son. "What is it, Finn?"

He hesitated before continuing, "This...this is a _dark_ spell, mother. Granted, your knowledge of spells and rituals far surpasses mine, but even with the ones I do know, few are darker than this one. Are you...certain that this is the way to go about eliminating the others?"

"You have asked me this a thousand times, Finn." Esther covered his hand reassuringly. "I see no other better option. Bringing back your father will take some time...and much magic, but it is necessary. This spell provided to me by a descendant of the deceased Les Morts-Vivants' leader is far better than I could have asked for. It seems my children had unknowingly caused their own downfall when they antagonized the New Orleans witches two hundred years ago. There is still much hostility in the few who remember the history. Much of the spell was lost in a fire, so the original ritual's intent is impossible to carry out, but that is not our goal. This remaining page is enough for me to bring back Mikael."

"But the potential consequences—"

"Would be _necessary_." Esther looked Finn in the eye. "All I wish is for my mistake to be undone. And then I will leave this world in peace. I do not intend to stay around for the spell's ramifications, though unknown, to take effect."

"The witches helping you right now...their ancestors do not worry that you will be creating yet another imbalance in nature by resurrecting him?"

"These witches? No. Their philosophy aligns with mine," Esther said. "They too agree that vampires...must be destroyed. Nature will balance herself out. Though how she will compensate for Mikael has yet to be known."

Finn nodded and circled the table so he was standing by his mother. "And...Audrea?"

Esther noted the faint hint of doubt in his voice and gave him a look. "Don't tell me you hold sympathy for the woman. She tried to kill you, remember?"

"For all my hatred of Niklaus and his vile ways...there is a shred of me that believes this may be...overtly cruel. Even I can understand the love they hold for each other. It is unlike any other. To possess her and use her to—"

"He will not live long enough to even comprehend what has occurred." Esther lifted her chin and stared hard at Finn. "Their love is toxic, Finn. They have destroyed the best parts of each other. Ending their existences will be the greatest favor I am doing them...and the world."

Finn still went on. "But wouldn't it be easier to use Rebekah? Klaus knows Audrea like he knows himself. It would be far too easy for him to sense if something is not right."

"And I have watched them for a thousand years." Esther voiced. "Besides, all I need is one opening, and knowing Niklaus, he would never hurt her. She is the best possible option."

At that, Esther began walking towards the fireplace, signalling to Finn that their conversation about his doubts needed to come to an end. She halted in front of the seat Finn had been occupying earlier, where a black bag lay.

"My source proved useful, I assume?"

Finn nodded and folded his hands behind his back. "Indeed. Alaric Saltzman, or rather, his... _alter-ego_...delivered. His little group had more, it seems, but my siblings have destroyed them."

"And they are all unaware of the last?" Esther unzipped the bag.

"I believe even the Salvatore brothers do not know he made a thirteenth one." Finn nodded. "I hear my siblings have...taken it upon themselves to torture and drain the eldest Salvatore of vervain to question him under compulsion."

"But of course they would be nothing but barbaric." Esther pursed her lips.

"As it is, he will be unable to get this information from Damon Salvatore even with compulsion."

Esther made a satisfied noise, and raised the thirteenth white oak stake up, turning it to look at its smoothly cut angles.

"Excellent."

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you for reading.** **Please leave a review if you enjoyed this chapter or have any feedback!**


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